The Possibility of Wellbeing: Preliminary Results from Surveys of Australian Professional Legal Education Students

(2014) 14 QUT Law Review 27

ANU College of Law Research Paper No. 14-27

26 Pages Posted: 26 Mar 2014

See all articles by Stephen Tang

Stephen Tang

ANU College of Law

Anneka Ferguson

Australian National University (ANU) Legal Workshop

Date Written: March 23, 2014

Abstract

Surveys of students in the Australian National University’s Legal Workshop Professional Legal Education (PLE) programme showed that students began and ended a core course with low levels of psychological distress. In contrast to other studies, we found no evidence of elevated symptoms of depressive symptoms and no signs that this PLE programme may impair wellbeing. While small increases in average stress symptoms were observed, this was associated with a more positive course experience. Self-perceptions of professional identity and concurrent legal employment predicted lower distress, suggesting that wellbeing is enhanced by building meaningful connections between legal education and students’ wider identities.

Keywords: Legal education, legal profession, psychological wellbeing, mental health

Suggested Citation

Tang, Stephen and Ferguson, Anneka, The Possibility of Wellbeing: Preliminary Results from Surveys of Australian Professional Legal Education Students (March 23, 2014). (2014) 14 QUT Law Review 27 , ANU College of Law Research Paper No. 14-27, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2413269

Stephen Tang (Contact Author)

ANU College of Law ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

Anneka Ferguson

Australian National University (ANU) Legal Workshop ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

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