Thread by @meeradeo

THREAD on @TheLSSSE 2021 Annual Report, "The #COVID Crisis in Legal Education." There's some good news, some bad news, and a call to action. Listen up! 👇 /1 lssse.indiana.edu/wp-content/upl…

.@TheLSSSE Report begins with comments from law students. Some are positive: "Most profs have done an amazing job in dealing w/#COVID & transitioning to hybrid learning." Others are agonizing: “Most of us are struggling--financially, physically, emotionally.” Let's dig deeper. /2

First, some good news: the core of #legaled is relatively unchanged, with high levels of satisfaction & positive interactions with faculty & classmates. One high point in @TheLSSSE data: 93% of students appreciated that their law profs showed “care and concern for students." /3

Yet #COVID19 affected the intangibles of #legaled. Fewer students discussed readings or career plans with profs. Only half had frequent discussions w/classmates who are different from them wrt race, religion, politics, etc. What does this mean for future cultural competency? /4

MOST TROUBLING: many law students struggled to meet their basic needs:
💰 63% were afraid they couldn't pay their bills
🏠 29% worried about eviction
🍲 43% faced food insecurity
--including OVER 50% of students of color who had increased concerns about having enough food.
/5

Students had abrupt declines in their quality of life. HALF of all @TheLSSSE respondents reported the highest level increase in mental or emotional exhaustion, including 57% of women law students. Also, 86% of women and 78% of men were more lonely during the #pandemic. /6

Given struggles re food, housing, and financial security + a declining quality of life, it is not surprising that the vast majority of students in @TheLSSSE survey had ⬆️ depression (85%) and anxiety (87%) that interfered with daily functioning (both w/marked gender effects). /7

#FirstGen students and those with the highest #debt levels were esp worried about their ability to pay for law school and living expenses. Also significantly concerned about law school finances were 30% of Asian Am students, 35% of Black students, and 45% of Latinx students. /8

While most students worked LESS during #COVID some students of color worked MORE than before. And though most @TheLSSSE respondents had sufficient internet access & physical space to join classes online, racial disparities affected Black & Latinx students disproportionately. /9

Unsurprisingly, academic success took a big hit due to #COVID19--esp for students of color and more for women students than for men. /10

.@TheLSSSE Report concludes that structural inequalities that existed pre-pandemic exploded due to #COVID, in #legaled as elsewhere. It's time to own our responsibility--stop assigning so much work, put words into action, allocate resources toward student support. It's on us. /11

MUCH MORE data, analyses, and conclusions in @TheLSSSE 2021 Annual Report. Reflections, suggestions, and commiseration (e.g. chocolate) are welcome. This is the hardest things I've ever had to write. Let's make sure we do something with it. /12
lssse.indiana.edu/annual-results/

HUGE thx to co-authors @TheLSSSE staff Chad Christensen & Jakki Petzold + Board Members Bryant Garth, Rick Matasar @AjayKMehrotra Rachel Moran, Camille Nelson, Lauren Robel @kellye_testy. I stand on the shoulders of former directors @CaroleSilver @TheEdLawProf & many others 🙏/13