Evening with the Bench and the Bar

On January 22, 2019, FSU Law hosted a special Evening with the Bench and the Bar, featuring alums Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson (’87) and Ben Gibson (’08), a partner at Shutts & Bowen. The event was moderated by graduate Melanie Kalmanson (’16), who is an associate at Akerman. Alumni provided candid remarks about navigating stress during law school and law practice. Gibson, who serves on The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Mental Health & Wellness and Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, talked about the importance of researching prospective employers to find a job and work environment that fits your priorities. He also remarked that students should seek jobs where their talents line up with their passions. Justice Lawson quoted Thomas Jefferson and John Locke in relation to the pursuit of happiness and thriving in life. He stressed that what works for each person in terms of finding solutions to stress is different and urged students to spend the necessary time to work on themselves to thrive through life’s toughest challenges. The alumni also discussed mental health resources available to students and lawyers. 

The event was part of the new Raising the Bar Professionalism+ Program, which is facilitated by the Office of Student Advancement and includes efforts to support students through a wide variety of events addressing mental health and wellness. The Office of Student Advancement also recently hosted Mental Health and Wellness Week, which included a session on healthy eating, an exercise class exclusively for law students, and a workshop on financial health and planning.

Published on February 1, 2019