“Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.” —William A. Ward
Last week I focused on our responsibility to take our students’ mental health challenges seriously and to promote a culture of wellness. There is another component to wellness that we also take very seriously – financial wellbeing.
Money is a major stressor for many of us, but particularly for law students who are trying to balance loan debt and other costs associated with attending law school as well as everyday living expenses.
Two-thirds of all respondents to the 2021 American Bar Association (ABA) Young Lawyers Division Student Loan Survey reported high or overwhelming stress about finances.
We believe that empowering students with the tools and skills tools to establish good financial habits will help them not only succeed in law school but also for the rest of their career.
That’s why we’ve partnered with the AccessLex Institute, an outstanding nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. AccessLex has a variety of financial resources for law students, including one-on-one financial coaching with certified financial advisors, scholarships, and webinars on financial education topics.
Our Wellness Committee recently hosted Dr. Theresa Popp Braun, Midwest Regional Director for the AccessLex Institute, who held workshops on credit and debt management for bar admissions and the five habits of financially successful lawyers. She also offered individual 30-minute financial coaching appointments to a number of students.
We recognize that although financial advising and counseling is extremely important, we must also have the resources in place to help our students meet immediate financial needs. That’s why we’ve created tthe below funds to support CSU|Law students:
CSU|Law Student Emergency Financial Assistance Fund: For law students experiencing a financial emergency that could impact their ability to continue their law school education.
The Gary Williams/Mary Jane McGinty Bar Passage Assistance Fund: An unforeseen obstacle or financial difficulty should not impede a student’s journey toward success in law school or bar licensure. This fund was created to ensure that no law student has to choose between eating, paying rent, or studying.
CSU|Law Wellness Fund: For our efforts to promote the wellness of our students, staff and faculty.
Please consider making a donation today to any of the above funds to help our students thrive and succeed.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay Committed to Living Justice.
Have a great day. Have a great week.
My best,
Lee
Lee Fisher
Dean, Cleveland State University College of Law | Cleveland State University
Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law
For copies of past messages, please go to this link: Monday Morning Messages.