Climate Crisis, Legal Education and Law Student Well-Being

Abstract

This article addresses the impact of the climate crisis on the mental health of young people in the context of legal education. It reviews the evidence on youth mental health regarding the climate crisis and applies it to what is already known about law student well-being. Drawing on theories of learning design, the article considers a range of pedagogical strategies that law schools can use to engage students who are committed to action on climate change through law. A case study, the Climate Justice Initiative at The University of Queensland School of Law, is presented as one example of what is possible. This article emphasises the significance of a partnership approach to student engagement and contends that this may yield benefits especially in the context of climate change-related legal work. Despite the negative psychological impact of the climate crisis on law students, it concludes that there are practical activities that law schools can and should initiate to support student well-being.