Law school is widely recognized as a demanding and competitive environment, and its impact on student mental health has become an important area of concern. Research shows that law students experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than students in many other graduate programs. A 2023 Tax Prof Blog report found that more than 75% experience increased anxiety and nearly half report symptoms of depression, reflecting a serious issue often normalized within legal education.

Understanding these challenges requires listening to the people who live and work within this environment every day. Insights from current law students, recent graduates, and mental health professionals help reveal how individuals cope with academic pressure, how stigma and limited access prevent students from seeking support, and how the structure of legal education can intensify stress. When these personal experiences are considered alongside existing data on mental health trends and risk factors, a clearer picture emerges of the barriers that stand in the way of student well‐being.

By combining personal experiences with research, this work identifies strategies to strengthen resilience and improve mental health outcomes for law students. The aim is to encourage open discussion, highlight opportunities for meaningful support, and promote healthier, more sustainable paths through law school and into early legal careers. Mental health is not separate from academic or professional success; it’s essential to both. Together, these insights set the stage for understanding the deeper psychological patterns that shape the law school experience.

A common challenge affecting law students’ mental health is imposter syndrome, which is the persistent feeling of being a fraud despite clear evidence of ability. According to Verywell Mind, the term was introduced by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes in the 1970s and, while not a clinical disorder, it is closely tied to perfectionism, anxiety, and chronic self‐doubt. Students experiencing it often attribute success to luck, fear being found out, and push themselves excessively to prove their worth, even though imposter feelings are most common among high achievers.

There are five types of imposter syndrome.

• The Perfectionist sets unrealistically high standards and feels like a failure when falling short.
• The Expert believes they must know everything before acting.
• The Natural Genius expects immediate mastery and feels ashamed when they struggle.
• The Soloist avoids asking for help, viewing independence as the only acceptable path.
• The Superperson ties self‐worth to constant productivity, often leading to burnout.

Understanding these patterns can help students recognize and manage their own responses. According to Valerie Young, co‐founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, overcoming imposter syndrome requires actively challenging the thoughts and behaviors that reinforce self‐doubt rather than waiting for the feelings to disappear. Strategies include acknowledging and discussing these feelings, separating emotions from facts, reframing mistakes as growth opportunities, and asking for help without viewing it as weakness. Additional tools, such as tracking accomplishments, replacing negative self‐talk, and visualizing success, can help students internalize their achievements and reduce the persistent sense of being an impostor.

According to The 2021 Survey of Law Student Well‐Being: More Progress Needed in Fostering Help‐Seeking among Law Students, law students continue to face significant mental health challenges. The survey found that 54% of students reported moderate to severe anxiety and 43% screened positive for moderate to severe depression. It also revealed that 11% had seriously considered suicide within the past year, underscoring the severity of the issue.

The survey also highlights concerns about confidence and belonging. Nearly 48% of third‐year students preparing for the bar exam reported feeling a lack of confidence or a sense of not belonging. These findings show that self‐doubt and imposter‐like feelings are widespread at a critical point in students’ professional development.

Overall, the data illustrate how psychological distress, low confidence, and limited help‐seeking intersect for many law students. Understanding these linked challenges is essential for improving student well‐being and strengthening support within legal education.

Law school is often associated with long hours, high expectations, and constant pressure, but what does that actually feel like for the students living it every day? I asked two current law students, Kelly Li and Jason Robinson, a few questions to get a more personal look at the mental health challenges they face, how they cope, and what advice they have for others entering this demanding environment.

Kelly Li (current 3L at the University of Mississippi School of Law)

Q: What’s the hardest part mentally?
A: “The really busy schedule and high demands.”

Q: How do you cope with stress or burnout?
A: “Going home and being around family is a stress reliever for me... so I can be in the comfort of my own home and family.”

Q: Does your school provide enough mental health support?
A: “I know our school has support but I don’t use it, so I don’t have a good gauge... I think we do address situations and offer and reiterate that resources do exist.”

Q: What advice would you give incoming law students?
A: “I would tell them to prioritize their mental health and wellbeing over school, truly... you can’t really have one without the other!”

Jason Robinson (current 3L at the University of Mississippi School of Law)

Q: What’s the hardest part mentally?
A: A: “Making the time to care for myself while also giving enough amount of time to focus on my studies.”

Q: How do you cope with stress or burnout?
A: “My #1 coping mechanism is cooking and working out.”

Q: Does your school provide enough mental health support?
A: “I’m not sure because I have never went to the university for support... if it’s specifically for the law school then no because of the
amount of no-cost therapy sessions.”

Q: What advice would you give incoming law students?
A: “Identify what their triggers or precursors are... and then find mechanisms to be able to find that harmony again.”

While current students describe the pressures of the moment, recent graduates offer perspective shaped by distance and growth.

Hearing from graduates offers a different perspective—one shaped by reflection, growth, and experience. Here’s what they shared:

A.J. Norwood (2025 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law)

Q: What mental health challenges did you face?
A: “The biggest challenge for me was likely imposter syndrome... at times I felt out of place.”Q: How do you cope with stress or burnout?

Q: Did your coping strategies carry over?
A: “Some coping strategies carried over, but not all... having a supportive group of friends and family and... going to the gym made a difficult law school tenure more tolerable.”

Q: What would you do differently?
A: “I’d definitely find a great mentor before law school even started...having a good mentor would’ve been beneficial.”

Q: Advice for staying emotionally grounded?
A: “Their health is wealth... stay active... set boundaries and give yourself grace... don’t let anyone make you feel as if you don’t belong.”

Chrystal King (2025 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law)

Q: What mental health challenges did you face?
A: “The hardest... was learning how to keep functioning while navigating deep personal grief... that grief showed up as anxiety, exhaustion, and moments where I felt disconnected.”

Q: Did your coping strategies carry over?
A: “Some of them did, but not all... constantly operating in ‘survival mode’ isn’t sustainable... what did carry over... was seeking support...community, prayer, journaling, and therapy.”

Q: What would you do differently?
A: “I would allow myself to slow down and feel my feelings... take breaks without guilt... prioritize sleep... and give myself space to heal.”

Q: Advice for staying emotionally grounded?
A: “Your mind and heart matter just as much as your grades... stay connected... make room for rest... your worth doesn’t come from how perfectly you perform.”

Chris Weems (2025 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law)

Q: What mental health challenges did you face?
A: “The primary... were anxiety and persistent nervousness...especially... pressure to perform well.”

Q: Did your coping strategies carry over?
A: “Yes... they have helped me manage stress more effectively and approach challenges with greater resilience.”

Q: What would you do differently?
A: “I would adjust my study approach... implementing these strategies sooner would likely have reduced the anxiety.”

Q: Advice for staying emotionally grounded?
A: “Remember your ‘why’... keeping your underlying motivation... can provide steadiness... during moments of doubt.”

While students and graduates offer lived experience, mental health professionals help contextualize these challenges within broader patterns.

To better understand the bigger picture, I spoke with a mental health professional who works closely with law students.

Megan Craven (Clinic manager for the Psychological Services Center/Ole Miss Law Wellness)

Q: What are the most common mental health challenges law students face?
A: “Most of the law students... have simultaneous ongoing stressors...worry about failure and not being ‘good enough’... balancing responsibilities... grief, health problems, [and] financial stressors.”

Q: How is law school different from other programs?
A: “Many law students uniquely juggle... student, volunteer, employment, and client-facing hats in a very competitive environment...all while... aware of their ‘ranking’ and how they compare.”

Q: What are signs a student is struggling?
A: “It most commonly impacts... sleep, appetite, concentration, and mood... [and] those who struggle most judge themselves harshly.”

Q: How can law schools better support students?
A: “Schools can help... vary the workload... build a community... give opportunities to act on feedback... and decrease competition as realistically as possible.”

Q: What helps prevent burnout or imposter syndrome?
A: “Have a community... be strict about personal wellness... schedule consistent breaks... and... ‘check your story for the facts’... be flexible with your perspective.”

Q: What advice would you give incoming law students?
A: “Build a routine... listen to your body’s needs... schedule breaks... don’t forget to be yourself... and... tell yourself you CAN do it.”

Resilience develops through consistent habits, early help‐seeking, and boundaries that protect your time and well‐being. Supportive communities also make the pressures of law school more manageable, and recognizing imposter syndrome as a common experience helps keep self‐doubt in check. Ultimately, resilience is rooted in balance, connection, and self‐awareness. By working together, students, schools, and the broader profession, we can foster a culture that prioritizes mental health and creates a stronger foundation for future lawyers.