From movies to policy debates, veterans are a perennial image in the American psyche. At the law school, the most notable presence of the military are recruiting officers (e.g., JAG), and to a lesser extent, student organizations (e.g., student veterans organizations, military justice societies) and the occasional veteran clinic. There is, however, no comprehensive in-depth study of how law schools accommodate veterans or how various institutional platforms operate (in the next few months, I will post an excel-based study mapping all these initiatives at law schools with some brief comments). While researching this topic and speaking with student veteran groups, military personnel and therapists, certain themes have emerged that might provide law school administrations with some guide for developing 'best practices' towards students serving or having served in the military.
The core challenge seems to be that there tends to be a lack of awareness by law school admission offices about the psychological and social challenges that veterans face, in civilian life or at school in particular. Below is a brief list of some common blind spots and potential reforms.
First, the recent DSM-5 manual (the key text for therapy diagnostics) observes that veterans are susceptible to developing PTSD merely from hearing the stories of other soldiers - in other words, while a buddy system can be an effective mechanism to help foster community, administrations need to be aware and educate students about the potential dangers associated with such partnerships. According to recent studies, some of the most effective practices to alleviate symptoms point towards therapy and group projects that are based on physical activity tied to clear goals (e.g., yoga). The caveat to this is that veterans tend not to seek therapy because of the stigma attached to 'weakness' (this is more complicated, but a conversation for another day) and, especially if still functioning in some military capacity, because therapy can impact job assessment (e.g., lose job as recruiter). In this regard, law schools could provide on-site therapy or make therapy options readily available, but also enlist the community to offer discounts at gyms, yoga studios, and sponsor sport activities and other community events.
Second, PTSD leads to unappreciated symptoms. Often, veterans do not feel comfortable in a classroom with individuals sitting behind them, unless it is another soldier - hence, the tendency to sit in the back of the class. Likewise, silence is a prevailing distress to many veterans, which can impact their test taking performance. More generally, whereas clear roles of how to act and friend/enemy distinctions are central to military indoctrination, the law school model fosters a mentality comfortable with 'grey areas' and involves roles that are difficult to assess (e.g., is the professor and fellow class mates friend or enemy). Law schools could begin to remedy this situation by implementing practices such as a) offering separate test taking rooms for veterans and providing sound machines (in addition to extra allotted time), b) sending a card (or even a cupcake, etc) to veterans from the administration on their birthdays (to cut down on friend/enemy distinction), and c) hosting meet/greets where veterans have opportunity to liaison with alumni to help grow stronger sense of possible career trajectories (help develop clear paths/roles).
Third, veterans often are not aware of the merit-based accommodations they are entitled to in relation to education, and especially among enlisted (as opposed to officers) are commonly apprehensive to inquire into such opportunities. When a student applies and indicates they are a veteran, law school admissions offices could provide comprehensive materials to educate and help facilitate the potential student to acquire these entitlements.
These are just a few considerations. And many law schools are beginning to implement exciting initiatives. UCLA, for instance, has developed a social media app that puts veterans in contact with one another. But there is a lot to be desired in terms of awareness and reforms. Beyond the responsibility of law schools to build momentum in this direction, it also makes good business sense - developing a 'turn key' operation can attract a niche market of students, often whom come with a strong sense of discipline, ethics, and financial aid already in place, and a positive military presence on campus means more law students who will consider enlistment after law school, which means more job placement and promotion of national security.
See Rules of Engagement: At Home and Abroad for a link that takes folks to a video of a panel discussion that addresses a number of these themes: .
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