Sarah Fanjoy and I visited UNB Law school this past week on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 on behalf of the New Brunswick Lawyers’ Assistance Program (NBLAP) to speak to first year law students at a wellness session. We enjoyed engaging with these students and listening to Dean Michael Marin’s presentation about dealing with anxiety when studying for the New York State Bar exam many years ago.
Dean Marin talked about some of the strategies he still employs to combat anxiety. His humour and honesty made his stories relatable. You could tell that by being authentic, Marin struck a chord with first year students. I, myself, left thinking “if someone at this level of achievement can be honest about past struggles and be such a thriving member of the legal community, then there is hope for many of those people in our profession who are struggling!” The statistics are undeniable, as set out in phase 1 of the 2022 Research Report–Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Practice of Law In Canada. However, our profession appears to be taking many important steps toward improving the mental health of legal professionals.
As promised, here is a condensed version of my presentation.
