Perceptions of wellbeing among heads of UK law schools

In recent years there has been increasing acknowledgement of wellbeing issues within law schools both in the UK and elsewhere. Discussion of staff and student wellbeing within higher education generally has similarly increased. Existing evidence suggests that there are aspects of law as a discipline, its norms and its culture, which may contribute to lower levels of wellbeing and higher levels of mental health issues among students and staff. Although a range of data has been collected from both law students and legal academics, there has been little focus to date on the perceptions of heads of law schools, either in the UK or elsewhere. This paper will provide an analysis of 16 qualitative semi-structured interviews with heads of UK law schools. Themes that emerged include: the significance of the Covid-19 global pandemic, evolving definitions of wellbeing, variations in institutional resources, leadership and strategic approaches to wellbeing, the importance of relationships and relationality, barriers and enablers to wellbeing within staff roles, barriers and enablers to wellbeing within the student experience, the role of personal tutoring, and identifying and implementing possible solutions. These themes are discussed through the application of Self-Determination Theory, in particular Basic Psychological Needs Theory. The findings highlight heads of UK law schools operating in a complex institutional and sector-wide climate with a wide range of challenges to the wellbeing of both staff and students. They also demonstrate a range of opportunities and possible solutions to enhance wellbeing. The wellbeing of heads of schools themselves is also considered. A series of recommendations are provided for law schools to consider based on these findings.