Law students need training in emotional competency
updated on 14 May 2018
The Legal Professions Wellbeing Taskforce has determined that all legal professionals should be made more aware of the need for emotional competency, with a particular emphasis on training law students in this regard.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week (14-18 May 2018), a panel of academic experts and representatives from professional and regulatory bodies discussed emotional competency, why lawyers need it and what can be done to better support them in this area. The panel agreed that “understanding your own emotions and your personal values is vital in dealing with stressful and difficult situations in the workplace”.
Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare said: “The purpose of the discussion was to look at how we can better equip lawyers with the tools they need in a challenging working environment. It was great to bring experts from across the industry together and we hope it will lead to greater collaboration on this issue, as well as all sectors looking at what they can do to ensure legal professionals are emotionally competent.”
Members of the taskforce include: the Law Society, LawCare, the Bar Council, the SRA, CILEx, CILEx Regulation, CILEx Law School, the Law Society's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, the Institute of Paralegals, the University of Law, BPP, Newcastle University, the Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society, the Young Barristers Committee, the Judicial Office, and the Bar Standards Board.
