Janet Stearns, dean of students and lecturer in law, along with David B. Jaffe, associate dean of student affairs at American University Washington College of Law, discusses their research and advocacy for law student well-being on the podcast On Balance. The podcast episode, “Law Student Well-Being: Advocating for Student Mental Health” took listeners through the latest statistics, emphasizing the importance of continuing to destigmatize mental health struggles, and offers many strategies for advocating for wellness throughout the entire legal profession. Listen here.
Stearns speaks nationally, writes and podcasts on law student wellbeing, and strategies for law schools to promote a culture of wellbeing in the profession. She has spearheaded the Fall Wellness Week and the Dean of Students Constitutional (walk) around the campus. She coordinates closely with the School’s Mindfulness in Law program and drafted the preface to Scott Roger’s book Mindfulness for Law Students (Mindful Living Press, 2009).
The ABA COLAP recognized Dean Stearns with the Meritorious Service Award at the 2020 Virtual National Conference in November 2020 and the AALS Student Services Section presented Stearns with the Kutulakis Award in January, 2022 for “outstanding contributions…in the provision of student services.” Dean Stearns is past chair of the AALS Student Services Section and chairs the Law School Committee of the ABA Commission on Lawyers Assistance Programs. Dean Stearns and the Miami Student Affairs Team were recognized with NALSAP’s CORE Four Award in 2020.
