key: cord-0925869-k3vw2j15 authors: Macaraan, Maryrose C title: Mental health and legal education in the time of pandemic date: 2021-05-21 journal: J Public Health (Oxf) DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab170 sha: 2828611441e891daf997f953575ba59a89f40410 doc_id: 925869 cord_uid: k3vw2j15 In response to an article published in this journal where the authors systematically reviewed the impact of shifted norms and practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of people, this paper explores this aspect within a more specific set of the population—the law students. It addresses the impact of transition from physical face-to-face classes to a virtual online platform on their psychological wellness and coping mechanism. In the end, the paper mentions strategies that the law students may adopt amid the lack or absence of physical interaction with professors, classmates and friends. In a bid to contain the spread of contagion during this COVID-19 pandemic, the government has ordered the closure of academic institutions. Since then, the delivery of learning has shifted from face-to-face encounters to online and virtual platforms. 1 For many in the field of education, this requires a rethinking of pedagogical approaches, upgrading of digital infrastructures, updating techniques and skills in online facilitation of classes and a lot more. In the legal education scene, the case is no di erent. Law school is the birthplace of lawyers, and law students are trained to adopt not only the lawyer's mindset but also his/her behaviors and manners at the soonest possible time. Pedagogical strategies, including lectures, case studies and report presentations, are delivered through the use of the Socratic method, and physical presence in class is a requirement for all students taking law. 2 But with the pandemic, law students have to attend their classes online and virtually meet their professors and classmates. A systematic review has shown how this experience of decreased interpersonal contact and isolation has resulted in mental health problems in several groups of the population. 3 Given the high levels of stress and anxiety in law school, one of the coping strategies to manage mental and psychological stress is to increase social connectedness. 4 While social connectedness is diminished by the lack or absence of physical interaction, there are still available ways and means to manage stress and achieve mental wellness. Foremost among them is to provide a sense of community even virtually through the organization of non-academic events like seminars, workshops, recollections and advocacy campaigns. It is also crucial to make them aware of the availability of tele-counseling as o ered by their academic institutions. Some programs and modules are o ered online to provide them strategies to develop self-management skills and the practice of mindfulness and meditation. Given the kind of training, law school is indeed a challenging experience, and the pandemic's impact on education, in general, does not exempt law students in terms of increased mental and psychological distress. It is hoped that amid this pandemic, the legal education system would continue to look for ways and means to provide support for all its stakeholders, especially the students. No funding was received for this paper. The author declares no conflict of interest in this paper. Education and the COVID-19 pandemic The state of Philippine legal education revisited COVID-19 pandemic: health impact of staying at home, social distancing and 'lockdown' measuresa systematic review of systematic reviews Law student stress: relationships between academic demands, social isolation, career pressure, study/life imbalance and adjustment outcomes in law students Macaraan O ce of Counseling and Career Services (OCCS)