SpringerLink
Log in

Trauma-Informed Legal Education: Rejecting the Stigma in Caring for Self, Client and Workplace

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Wellbeing and Transitions in Law

Abstract

The legal profession is the last of the human services to recognise the need to become trauma-informed by preparing lawyers for exposure to the trauma of their clients. Increasingly, law school programmes and legal educators are coming to understand the serious effects that exposure to trauma can have on lawyers and accepting the need to help students develop strategies for co** with the trauma involved in many types of legal work. Lawyers in areas such as criminal, family law and child abuse may be frequently exposed to descriptions or images of physical violence or emotional trauma experienced by their clients or witnesses in a case. This chapter draws on empirical research to explain the risk and the potential effects of trauma exposure, to describe the obligations expected of a trauma-informed workplace and to suggest curricula adaptions and methods for legal education to incorporate trauma theory and improve the resilience and wellbeing of lawyers while maintaining their effectiveness and productivity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AAUW. (2019). Limiting our Livelihood: The Cumulative Impact of Sexual Harassment on Women’s Careers. American Association of University Women.

    Google Scholar 

  • ABA. (2018). Trauma-Informed Legal Advocacy: A Resource for Juvenile Defense Attorneys (J. C. A. W. S. National Child Traumatic Stress Network, Ed.). Los Angeles, CA, and Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.

    Google Scholar 

  • ABA & NCTSN. (2017). Trauma: What Child Welfare Attorneys Should Know. National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, C. E. (2020). What is Positive Psychology & Why is It Important. PositivePsychology.com

  • Agius, C., Rosamond, A. B., & Kinnvall, C. (2020). Populism, Ontological Insecurity and Gendered Nationalism: Masculinity, Climate Denial and Covid-19. Politics, Religion & Ideology, 21(4), 432–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allman, K. (2017). Toppling the Six-Minute Tyrant. Law Society Journal, October 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allman, K. (2019). The Burnout Profession. Law Society Journal, 54(April), 30–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andreasen, N. C. (2010). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A History and A Critique (Psychiatric and Neurologic Aspects of War). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1208, 67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Apata, G. O. (2020). ‘I Can’t Breathe’: The Suffocating Nature of Racism. Theory, Culture & Society, 37(7–8), 241–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Australia. (2014). National Attrition and Re-engagement Study (NARS) Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australia. (2019). Anti-bullying Benchbook: An Overview of Legal Procedure & Case Law. Fair Work Commission, March 25. https://www.fwc.gov.au/anti-bullying-benchbook/when-worker-bullied-at-work

  • Ayres, I., Bankman, J., Fired, B., & Luce, K. (2017). Anxiety Psychoeducation for Law Students: A Pilot Program. Journal of Legal Education, 67(1), 118–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird, K., & Kracen, A. C. (2006). Vicarious Traumatization and Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Research Synthesis. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 19(2), 181–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, R. L. (2019). Integrating Positive Psychology into Legal Education. Southwestern Law Review, 48(March 12).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandes, S. A. (2021). Feeling and Thinking Like a Lawyer: Cognition, Emotion, and the Practice and Progress of Law. Fordham Law Review, 89(1), 2427–2446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, S., Hopkin, G., & Forrester, A. (2019). Exposure to Traumatic Events and the Experience of Burnout, Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction among Prison Mental Health Staff: An Exploratory Survey. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 40(4), 304–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BI. (2017). 6,000 Female Lawyers Are Calling Out Sexual Abuse in the Swedish Legal Industry—And It’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg. Business Insider Nordic, November 16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, S. L. (2019). Trauma Theory. In R. Benjamin, J. Haliburn, & S. King (Eds.), Humanising Mental Health Care in Australia (pp. 3–30). Routledge.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, S.L., & Farragher, B. (2013). Restoring Sanctuary: A New Operating System for Trauma-Informed Systems of Care. .

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bloy, N., et al. (2021). Life in the Law 2020/21. LawCare Ltd..

    Google Scholar 

  • Boserup, B., McKenney, M., & Elkbuli, A. (2020). Alarming Trends in US Domestic Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 38(12), 2753–2755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowcott, O. (2019). Bullying and Sexual Harassment Rife Among Lawyers, Global Survey Finds. The Guardian UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Briere, J., & Scott, C. (2015). DSM-5 Update Principles of Trauma Therapy: A Guide to Symptoms, Evaluation, and Treatment (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications Inc., Hogan Assessment Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinkmann, U., & Van Weerdenburg, O. (2014). Different Talents, New Abilities (pp. 64–94). Palgrave Macmillan UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, R. A. (2016). Acute Stress Disorder: What It Is and How to Treat It. The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, S., Milstein, E. S., & Shalleck, A. C. (Eds.). (2014). Transforming the Education of Lawyers: The Theory and Practice of Clinical Pedagogy. Carolina Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryson, S. A., Gauvin, E., Jamieson, A., Rathgeber, M., Faulkner-Gibson, L., Bell, S., Davidson, J., Russel, J., & Burke, S. (2017). What Are Effective Strategies for Implementing Trauma-Informed Care in Youth Inpatient Psychiatric and Residential Treatment Settings? A Realist Systematic Review. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 11(36), 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton, B. (2019). Wellness: Mental illness and stigma in legal practice. The Proctor, 39(3), 22–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton, K., & Paton, A. (2021). Vicarious Trauma: Strategies for Legal Practice and Law Schools. Alternative Law Journal, 46(2), 94–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho, J. (2019). Attorney Suicide: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know. ABA Journal, January 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chow, D. Y. L., & Calvard, T. (2021). Constrained Morality in the Professional Work of Corporate Lawyers. Journal of Business Ethics, 170(2), 213–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cless, J. D., & Goff, B. S. N. (2017). Teaching Trauma: A Model for Introducing Traumatic Materials in the Classroom. Advances in Social Work, 18(1), 25–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CNSJ. (2014). What is Trauma? Drexel University (Centre for Nonviolence & Social Justice).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, D. (2019). The Myth of the Gendered Brain: What the Latest Science Tells Us. Psychotherapy Networker, 43(6), 65–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, P. H., & Bilge, S. (2020). Intersectionality. Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Confino, J. (2019). Where Are We On The Path To Law Student Well-Being?: Report on the ABA CoLAP Law Student Assistance Committee Law School Wellness Survey. Journal of Legal Education, 68(3), 650–716.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crespo, M., & Fernández-Lansac, V. (2016). Memory and Narrative of Traumatic Events: A Literature Review. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8(2), 149–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Croft, L. (2021). We Can’t Just Pretend That Nothing Has Changed. LawyersWeekly, August 16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, C., Singer, J., Hisaka, R., & Benuto, L. T. (2018). Compassion Satisfaction to Combat Work-Related Burnout, Vicarious Trauma and Secondary Trauma Stress. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(9–10), 5304–5319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dale, A. (2019). Taking on the Trauma. Law Society Journal. May 29, 2019. https://lsj.com.au/articles/taking-on-the-trauma/#. Accessed 2 May 2023.

  • Daneshvar, S., Basharpoor, S., & Shafiei, M. (2020). Self-Compassion and Cognitive Flexibility in Trauma-Exposed Individuals with and Without PTSD. Current Psychology, 41(4), 2045–2052.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeGruy, J. (2017). Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing. Joy DeGruy Publications Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodson, S., Rosenthal, L. H., & Dodson, C. (2020). The Zooming of Federal Civil Litigation. Judicature, 104(3), 12–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • DOJ. (2018). Office of the Victims of Crime. The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit. US Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doraisamy, J. (2019). 2 in 5 Young Lawyers Intend to Walk Out the Door. LawyersWeekly, September 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, K. (2020). Black and White Thinking: The Burden of a Binary Brain in a Complex World. Transworld.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, J. E., Workman, K. M., & Hardin, A. E. (2014). Compassion at Work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 277–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EEOC. (2016). Report of the Co-chairs of the EEOC Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission US.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, A., Cody, A., Copeland, A., Giddings, J., Joy, P. A., Noone, M. A., & Rice, S. (2017). Reflective Practice: The Essence of Clinical Legal Education. In Australian Clinical Legal Education: Designing and Operating a Best Practice Clinical Program in an Australian Law School. Australian National University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ewert, A., & Tessneer, S. (2019). Psychological Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth: An Exploratory Analysis. Journal of Experiential Education, 42(3), 280–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Field, R., & Meyer, J. H. F. (2020). Threshold Concepts in Law: Intentional Curriculum Reform to Support Law Student Learning Success and Well-being. In E. Jones & F. Cownie (Eds.), Key Directions in Legal Education: National and International Perspectives. Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figley, C. R. (2002). Compassion Fatigue: Psychotherapists’ Chronic Lack of Self Care. Journal of Clinical Psychology—In Session, 58(11), 1433–1441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fines, B. G., & Madsen, C. A. (2007). Caring Too Little, Caring Too Much: Competence and the Family Law Attorney. University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Review, 75(4), 965–998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleck, J., & Francis, R. (2021). Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession: A Practical Guide to Trauma, Burnout and Collective Care. Legal Action Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomme, I. M., & Hall, M. P. (1995). Prosecutors at Work: Role Overload and Strain. Journal of Criminal Justice, 23(2), 191–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, L. A., Sullivan, C. M., Serrata, J., Perilla, J., Wilson, J. M., Fauci, J. E., & DiGiovanni, C. D. (2016). Development and validation of the Trauma-Informed Practice Scales. Journal of Community Psychology, 44, 747–764.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenall, P. V., & Marselle, M. (2007). Traumatic Research: Interviewing Survivors of 9/11. The Psychologist, 20(9), 544–546.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hebl, M., Cheng, S. K., & Ng, L. C. (2020). Modern Discrimination in Organizations. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 7(1), 257–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez, P., Gangsei, D., & Engstrom, D. (2007). Vicarious Resilience: A New Concept in Work with Those Who Survive Trauma. Family Process, 46(2), 229–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hickie, I. (2020). As ‘Lockdown Fatigue’ Sets in, the Toll on Mental Health Will Require an Urgent Response. The Conversation, August 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilbourne, N. (2019). British Lawyers More Likely to be Bullied, Global Survey Finds. LegalFutures, May 15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofer, S., & Achury, S. (2021). Examining Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in the Legal Profession: An Analysis of Career Tracks and Representation. Open Judicial Politics—Oregon State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofmeyer, A., Kennedy, K., & Taylor, R. (2020). Contesting the Term ‘Compassion Fatigue’: Integrating Findings from Social Neuroscience and Self-Care Research. Collegian, 27(2), 232–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hydon, S., Wong, M., Langley, A. K., Stein, B. D., & Kataoka, S. H. (2015). Preventing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Educators. Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 24(2), 319–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iversen, S., & Robertson, N. (2021). Prevalence and Predictors of Secondary Trauma in the Legal Profession: A Systematic Review. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 28(6), 802–822.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaffe, P. G., Crooks, C. V., Dunford-Jackson, B. L., & Town, J. M. (2003). Vicarious Trauma in Judges: The Personal Challenge of Dispensing Justice. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Fall, 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, C. (2017). Legal Practice on Time: The Ethical Risk and Inefficiency of the Six-Minute Unit. Alternative Law Journal, 42(1), 61–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James, C. (2020). Towards Trauma-Informed Legal Practice: A Review. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2020.1719377

  • Jones, A. C. (2019a). Stigma and Shame: Conceptualisations and Views Concerning Service Use and Health Care Provision: A Literature Review and Commentary. (01) Journal of Clinical and Medical Research, Research Article: RD-CMR-10012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. (2019b). Emotions as a Transformative Force. In Emotions in the Law School. New York & London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. (2021). The Role and Impact of Emotions Within Everyday Legal Practice. No Foundations: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Law and Justice, 18, 1–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, L. K., & Cureton, J. L. (2014). Trauma Redefined in the DSM-5: Rationale and Implications for Counseling Practice. The Professional Counsellor, 4, 257–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, S. (2019). Trauma-Informed Practice: The Future of Child Welfare? Widener Commonwealth Law Review, 28(51), 81–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, S. (2020). The Trauma-Informed Law Classroom: Incorporating Principles of Trauma-Informed Practice into the Pandemic Age Law School Classroom. Davis Social Justice Law Review, 25(1), 17–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelk, N., Luscombe, G., Medlow, S., & Hickie, I. (2009). Courting the Blues: Attitudes towards Depression: Australian Law Students and Legal Practitioners. Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney University, Sydney NSW.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klimecki, O. M., Leiberg, S., Lamm, C., & Singer, T. (2012). Functional Neural Plasticity and Associated Changes in Positive Affect After Compassion Training. Cerebral Cortex, 23(7), 1552–1561. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhs142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kluft, R. R., Bloom, S. L., & Kinzie, J. D. (2000). Treating the Traumatized Patient and Victims of Violence. New Directions in Mental Health Services, 86, 79–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knaus, C. (2020). Former High Court Justice Dyson Heydon Sexually Harassed Staff, Inquiry Finds. The Guardian, June 22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, C. (2021). Trauma Informed Supervision. In K. O’Donghue & L. Engelbrecht (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Social Work Supervision. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, C., & Borders, L. D. (2018). Trauma-Informed Supervision: Historical Antecedents, Current Practice, and Future Directions. The Clinical Supervisor, 37(1), 7–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krieger, L. S., & Sheldon, K. M. (2015). What Makes Lawyers Happy: A Data Driven Prescription to Redefine Professional Success. The George Washington Law Review, 85, 554–627.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kyron, M. J., Rikkers, W., O’Brien, P., Bartlett, J., & Lawrence, D. (2021). Experiences of Police and Emergency Services Employees with Workers’ Compensation Claims for Mental Health Issues. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 31(1), 197–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lancet, T. (2021). Climate and COVID-19: Converging Crises. The Lancet, Editorial, 397(10269), 71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Mire, S. (2015). Addressing Bullying in the Australian Legal Profession. Legal Ethics, 18(1), 69–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, A. P., & Greisberg, S. (2003). Vicarious Trauma in Attorneys. Pace Law Review, 24(1), 245–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, A. P., Putney, H., Crimmins, D., & McGrath, J. G. (2021). Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, and Perceived Organizational Trauma Readiness in Forensic Science Professionals. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 66(5), 1758–1769.

    Google Scholar 

  • LSUK. (2018). Resilience and Wellbeing Survey Report. Law Society UK Junior Lawyer Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • LSUK. (2019). Resilience and Wellbeing Survey Report. Law Society UK Junior Lawyer Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maki, H., & Sheldon, C. T. (2019). Trauma-Informed Strategies in Public Interest Litigation: Avoiding Unintended Consequences Through Integrative Legal Perspectives. In C. Milne & K. Roach (Eds.), The Supreme Court Law Review: Public Interest Litigation in Canada (Vol. 90). LexisNexis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marlow, C. (2019). Trauma Exposure in Law: What You Need to Know. Law Society of the United Kingdom.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead, V. (2018). How Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Increase Risk for Chronic Illness and What You Can Do About It: An example of the Trauma & Disease Connection. In V. Mead (Ed.), Chronic Illness Trauma Studies: How Adversity Shapes Health & Why It’s Not in Your Head. https://chronicillnesstraumastudies.com/. Accessed 2 May 2023.

  • Mertz, E. (2007). The Language of Law School: Learning to ‘Think Like a Lawyer’. Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Morganstein, J. C. (2019). Climate Change and Mental Health Connections. American Psychological Association, Physician Review (November).

    Google Scholar 

  • Natalie K. Skead, Shane L. Rogers & W. Rupert Johnson (2020). The role of place, people and perception in law student well-being (Pt Elsevier BV) 73. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 101631.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. V., Ho, L., Mitford-Burgess, J., Harvey, A., & Rose, H. (2018). Client Management and Self-Care: A Guide for Pro Bono Lawyers. The Australian Pro Bono Centre, Sydney NSW.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nomchong, S. C. K. (2017). Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession. The Journal of the NSW Bar Association, 79, 35–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, L., Johnson, J., & Woods, G. (2016). Burnout and Compassion Fatigue: What Lawyers Need to Know. UMKC Law Review, 84, 987–1002.

    Google Scholar 

  • NZBA. (n.d.). Help for You. New Zealand Bar Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Omari, M., & Paull, M. (2013). ‘Shut Up and Bill’: Workplace Bullying Challenges for the Legal Profession. International Journal of the Legal Profession, 20(2), 141–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organ, J. M., Jaffe, D. B., & Bender, K. M. (2016). Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being and the Reluctance of Law Students to Seek Help for Substance Use and Mental Health Concerns. Journal of Legal Education, 66(1), 116–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • OVC. (n.d.). Using a Trauma-Informed Approach. Human Trafficking Task Force e-Guide. US Office for Victims of Crime.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearlman, L. A., & MacIan, P. S. (1995). Vicarious Traumatization: An Empirical Study of the Effects of Trauma Work on Trauma Therapists. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 26, 558–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pender, Kieran (2019). Us Too? Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession. London, UK: International Bar Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, J. K., Silver, M. A., & Portnoy, S. (2004). Stress, Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, and Other Emotional Realities in the Lawyer/Client Relationship: A Panel Discussion. Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository, 2190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, T. D., & Peterson, E. W. (2009). Stemming the Tide of Law Student Depression: What Law Schools Need to Learn from the Science of Positive Psychology. Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law & Ethics, Issue, 9(2), 357–434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pineles, S. L., Arditte Hall, K. A., & Rasmusson, A. M. (2017). Gender and PTSD: Different Pathways to a Similar Phenotype. Current Opinion in Psychology, 14, 44–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powell, L. QC, ABC News. (2019, February 26). A Senior Barrister Speaking to Young Female Lawyers at a South Australian Bar Association Conference, Explaining Such Behaviour Would Be Self-Defense.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powers, S. R., & Myers, K. K. (2020). Work-Related Emotional Communication Model of Burnout: An Analysis of Emotions for Hire. Management Communication Quarterly, 34(2), 155–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powers, M. B., Warren, A. M., Rosenfield, D., Roden-Foreman, K., Bennett, M., Reynolds, M. C., Davis, M. L., Foreman, M. L., Petrey, L. B., & Smits, J. A. J. (2014). Predictors of PTSD Symptoms in Adults Admitted to a Level I Trauma Center: A Prospective Analysis. J Anxiety Disord, 28(3), 301–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prinzing, M. M., Zhou, J., West, T. N., Le Nguyen, K. D., Wells, J. L., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2020). Staying ‘In Sync’ with Others during COVID-19: Perceived Positivity Resonance Mediates Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Links between Trait Resilience and Mental Health. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 17(3), 440–455.

    Google Scholar 

  • QLD, L. S., & Smith, J. P. E. (2018). Vicarious Trauma and the Legal Profession. Speech to Queensland Law Society, 10 October.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich, J. F. (2020). Capitalizing on Healthy Lawyers: The Business Case for Law Firms to Promote and Prioritize Lawyer Well-Being. Villanova Law Review, 65, 361–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricketson, M. (2017). Taking Journalism and Trauma Seriously: The Importance of the AZ Case. Australian Journalism Review, 39(2), 177–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, G. (2021). Preventing Compassion Fatigue: When Lawyers Care Too Much. Attorney @ Work, August 12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rønning, L., Blumberg, J., & Dammeyer, J. (2020). Vicarious Traumatisation in Lawyers Working with Traumatised Asylum Seekers: A Pilot Study. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 27(4), 665–677.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salas, M.J. (2020). The Covid-19 Crisis is a Trauma Pandemic in the Making. PsychCentral, April 20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salter, M., Dragiewicz, M., Burke, J., Ussher, J., Middleton, W., Vilenica, S., Beatriz, M., & Kyja, N. L. (2020). “A Deep Wound Under My Heart”: Constructions of Complex Trauma and Implications for Women’s Wellbeing and Safety from Violence. ANROWS.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAMHSA. (2014). Building a Trauma-Informed Workforce. In Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santagostino, I., & Marina Elefante, R. (2020). The Shadow Pandemic: Violence against Women during COVID-19. World Bank—Let’s Talk Development, October 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scotland, L. S. (2020). The Status of Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination in the Scottish Legal Profession. Online CPD training. https://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/wellbeing/our-research-into-the-status-of-mental-health-stigma-and-discrimination-in-the-scottish-legal-profession/. Accessed 2 May 2023.

  • Scotland, L. S. (2021). Trauma Informed Training. Online CPD training. https://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/cpd-training/online-cpd/trauma-informed-training/. Accessed 2 May 2023.

  • Shoji, K., Lesnierowska, M., Smoktunowicz, E., Bock, J., Luszczynska, A., Benight, C. C., & Cieslak, R. (2015). What Comes First, Job Burnout or Secondary Traumatic Stress? Findings from Two Longitudinal Studies from the U.S. and Poland. PloS One, 10(8), e0136730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solal, I., & Snellman, K. E. (2020). The B-Team: Gender-Diverse Teams and Prototypes of Success. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2020(1), 21318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spindelman, M., Cobb, T. D., Testy, K., & O’Neill, K. (2015). From the Editors: Ferguson and Its Impact on Legal Education Symposium. Journal of Legal Education, 65(2), 261–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spohr, T. (2020). Criminal Practice During a Pandemic: A Defence Lawyer’s Experience. Judicial Officers Bulletin, September 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, R. (2021). Remote Staff Supervision: Managing the Risks. Law Society Journal, 70, 87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stokes, H., Kern, P., Turnbull, M., Farrelly, A., & Forster, R. (2019). Trauma Informed Positive Education—BSEM 3 Year Evaluation. The University of Melbourne, School of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, C. (2004). Is Empathy Gendered and, If So, Why? An Approach from Feminist Psychological Anthropology. Ethos, 32(4), 432–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strevens, C. (2020). The Wrong Message: Law student Well-Being in the Contemporary Higher Education Environment. In E. Jones & F. Cownie (Eds.), Key Directions in Legal Education: National and International Perspectives (pp. 125–141). Francis Group.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Strevens, C., & Field, R. (Eds.). (2019). Educating for Well-Being: Positive Professional Identities and Practice. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, M. (2016). Law Student Wellbeing: A Neoliberal Conundrum. Australian Universities Review, 58(2), 42–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, M. (2019). Towards the Uberisation of Legal Practice. Law, Technology and Humans, 1, 46–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Usher, K., Bhullar, N., Durkin, J., Gyamfi, N., & Jackson, D. (2020). Family Violence and COVID-19: Increased Vulnerability and Reduced Options for Support. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 29(4), 549–552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verma, M. K. (2021). Lockdowns a Renewed Opportunity for Law Firms to Evolve and Embrace Intersectionality. LawyersWeekly, August 26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vrklevski, L. P., & Franklin, J. (2008). Vicarious Trauma: The Impact on Solicitors of Exposure to Traumatic Material. Traumatology, 14(1), 106–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waters, L., Algoe, S. B., Dutton, J., Emmons, R., Fredrickson, B. L., Heaphy, E., Moskowitz, J. T., Neff, K., Niemiec, R., Pury, C., & Steger, M. (2021). Positive Psychology in a Pandemic: Buffering, Bolstering, and Building Mental Health. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 17(6), 761–789.

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (2019). Burn-Out an ‘Occupational Phenomenon’: International Classification of Diseases. World Health Organization News.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M. B., & Poijula, S. (2016). The PTSD Workbook. New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolpol, R., Johnson, M. M., Hertel, R., & Kincaid, S. O. (2016). The Heart of Learning and Teaching: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success. Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction - Compassionate Schools.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodbury, Z. (2019). Climate Trauma: Toward a New Taxonomy of Trauma. Ecopsychology, 11(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wootton, H. (2021). We’ve Got a Long Way to Go on Harassment, Bullying: Law Firms. Australian Financial Review, April 22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz, Z. (2021). Workload and Burnout From a Gender Perspective. In F. Özsungur (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Policies, Protocols, and Practices for Social Work in the Digital World. IGI Global.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ANU College of Law, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Colin James

Authors
  1. Colin James
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Colin James .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Law, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Emma Jones

  2. Portsmouth Law School, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

    Caroline Strevens

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

James, C. (2023). Trauma-Informed Legal Education: Rejecting the Stigma in Caring for Self, Client and Workplace. In: Jones, E., Strevens, C. (eds) Wellbeing and Transitions in Law. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27654-5_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27654-5_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-27653-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-27654-5

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation