At Seton Hall University’s Law School campus in Newark, New Jersey, students have introduced new resources to make mental health support more accessible and less stigmatized.
Seton Hall CARES, a student-led mental health organization, promotes wellness and encourages students to take ownership of their well-being.
Though recently launched, the group has held several community events that give law students space to care for themselves and one another as they navigate the pressure of legal education.
Justin Giacobbe, a third-year SHU law student is the leadership fellow and the founder of CARES. Giacobbe felt compelled to create meaningful change at the law school. What inspired him to start CARES was a “culmination of moments.”
“In high school, I worked with a guidance counselor who started a wellness and mindfulness program,” Giacobbe said. “I saw firsthand how small activities could make a real difference during stressful times. I carried that with me into college.”
“When I studied abroad in Rome, I hosted Wellness Wednesdays, and after a classmate from home passed away, we organized a vigil and brought local therapists to support students,” Giacobbe added .“Seeing how much that helped stayed with me.”
Giacobbe emphasized that the need for mental health resources carried over into law school.
“Law school is challenging—I felt that in my first two years, and I know many others have too,” he said. “Seton Hall offers support, but a lot of us assume stress is something we’re just supposed to endure, and we don’t always notice when it goes too far. Students need a space to be open with each other, and we have to make well-being a conscious priority if we want things to change.”
Giacobbe isn’t the only student who has felt the academic and social pressures of law school. Working alongside him is Katherine Ryan, a third-year law student and leadership fellow at SHU. As a member of the CARES executive board, Ryan said she has faced similar challenges with managing stress.
Before CARES, she said, finding the right support often felt overwhelming.
“Sometimes it’s hard to show up for your mental health; you feel like you don’t have enough time to take care of yourself,” Ryan said.
Ryan also opened up about some stereotypes about studying law.
“There is a dangerous misconception that a lot of law students have,the more time they pour into studying, the more they’ll achieve,” Ryan said.“But that kind of thinking can lead to self neglect; all of a sudden, you’re staying up all night to study and getting into a huge sleep deficit.”
During the fall semester, CARES hosted a gratitude-themed event that encouraged students to write letters to loved ones. The goal was to help students pause and reconnect with the people who ground them. The event drew wide participation, with letters sent from Brooklyn to Nevada and beyond. It gave law students a chance to decompress and shift focus away from outlines and final exams.
Jeannette McGrath, also an executive board member and leadership fellow in her final year at SHU Law, said the event stood out not only for its concept but for its impact. Notably, this was the organization's first tabling.
“The impact went way beyond handing out a flyer—it engaged students that would have otherwise walked past the table and into the library,” McGrath said. It caught people’s attention, and many were able to step out of their routines and take a moment to express gratitude. The shift of energy in some people was really meaningful.”
For McGrath, events like these are necessary.
“Conversations about mental health can be overwhelming,” she said. “It’s important to have these lighthearted events that call for some introspection.”
These events highlight the role of student-led initiatives in fostering and normalizing conversations about mental health. By creating spaces that encourage reflection and social connection, students like Giacobbe, Ryan, and McGrath have helped the SHU law community promote greater awareness and support for mental well-being.
While all three will soon graduate and move on to their legal careers, the legacy they have built through CARES will continue to resonate with SHU students for years to come.
Angela Alvarez is a writer for The Setonian’s New Section. She can be reached at angela.alvarez1@student.shu.edu.
