Resilience and wellbeing programmes the practical legal training experience

© 2016 selection and editorial matter, Rachael Field, James Duffy and Colin James; individual chapters, the contributors. This chapter discusses the importance of intentionally designing the law curriculum to promote law student well-being, and argues that the work is particularly important in the context of the first year experience of legal education. The law curriculum offers law teachers an opportunity to strategize for important change in legal education by addressing the currently high levels of psychological distress experienced by law students. Harnessing the curriculum to promote student well-being allows legal academics to go to where the student is. Sally Kift says that a truly integrative approach to law curriculum renewal may deliver a viable way forward in a time of dynamic change for both the legal and higher education sectors. Jill Howieson's research at the University of Western Australia provides evidence that teaching dispute resolution knowledge, skills and attitudes can support student well-being, particularly by creating in students a sense of belonging to their law school