LIFT was created as a dynamic program of research and practice that promotes adaptive mindsets—a mindset where students regard difficulties as challenges they can overcome rather than as fixed and discouraging statements of their worth—in law students and address their changing social and academic needs. As a collaboration between students, law faculty, and learning scientists, our goal is to create meaningful cultural change. We combine research and practical applications to support student advancement and success. Drawing on psychological research, we design targeted strategies to facilitate learning, promote resilience, encourage engagement, and help students navigate the invisible forces that hinder their growth.

Through our research, we have learned that as future lawyers navigate the rigorous and high-pressure environment of law school, they encounter a myriad of stressors that can significantly impact their well-being and long-term professional and personal success. Compounded over time, such stressors have the potential to derail students from their academic and professional pursuits, and worse, instill in them a sense that they simply don’t belong in any law-related program. In contrast, programs that instill students with essential skills and adaptive mindsets contribute to the ethical practice of law, reduce burnout, and improve retention rates in the profession.