After the success of ISBA's Mental Health Week in October of 2020, ISBA is currently helping to create a law student-orientated mental health committee to address ongoing concerns related to law student's mental health and wellbeing at Iowa law. We are currently in the process of creating the committee's constitution and the application process. The committee will begin meeting in the 2021-2022 academic year. Please contact the committee's faculty advisor Jaret Morlan if you have any questions.
Studying Law is an exciting, affirming endeavor and the first step towards your chosen career. Along with this excitement, Law school can also be overwhelming, resulting in significant increases in stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. But you are not alone and the University Counseling Service at the College of Law (UCS-CoL) is here to support you. The mission of the UCS-CoL is to provide compassionate psychological services, outreach, and trainings that foster the mental health of law students, nurture student success, and contribute to a safe, welcoming, and multiculturally aware environment for all University of Iowa law students.
The embedded location within the College of Law allows a unique opportunity to engage directly with law students and their environment through individual and group counseling, consultations, outreach programming and case management. The UCS in the College of Law also has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to creating an environment that is welcoming to everyone.
It’s important to feel comfortable talking about private and revealing information in a safe and compassionate environment, and to see the therapist’s office as a place where anything can be discussed without fear that information will be shared.. A safe, trusting environment is critical for personal growth and relationship building and is taken very seriously. Therefore all aspects of counseling are confidential and protected by state and federal laws, allowing students freedom to explore their emotions and struggles openly.
In addition to supporting the mental health of individual students, the embedded therapist at the College of Law, provides support, consults, and provides education as a means of caring for the mental health of the overall environment. This includes consultations/trainings with faculty and staff, as well as programming that invites everyone to learn and explore areas and practices of good mental health.
The UCS office at the College of Law is located on the second floor of the Boyd Law Building at 130 Byington Road in room 295a, just off the main lobby. However, during the current pandemic, all meetings are via zoom until further notice. To schedule an appointment with embedded counselor, Jaret Morlan, LMSW, please email jaret-morlan@uiowa.edu.
Prioritizing mental health is a wonderful way to promote positive self-care and generate healthyemotional habits as you manage the experience of Law School. And the good news is, you don’t have to manage alone, we’re here for. Just reach out!
Jaret Morlan, LMSW
Staff Therapist, College of Law
Email: jaret-morlan@uiowa.edu
Telephone: (319) 335-7294
Outreach Interests:
I believe that mental health care is a right and a need that all people should have access to without stigmatization or privileged status. I have a personal goal of reducing the stigma around mental health and my outreach efforts will revolve around encouraging UI students to seek counseling without concern for ridicule or judgment. I believe in community support for people in crisis and passionately believe that when people are in psychological pain and need help, they should have access to it. In continuing my outreach efforts, I want to provide education on topics such as anxiety, grief, substance abuse, and stress relief.