Mitchell Hamline Law Review
Publication Information
52 Mitchell Hamline Law Review 345 (2026)
Abstract
As more adults discover that they are neurodivergent, the law student population is likely to be no different, and legal education must adapt to support the skill development needs of neurodivergent students as they prepare to enter the profession. Neurodivergence is a non-medical term that refers to a variety of conditions resulting from changes to a person’s brain structure and function. More commonly, academic discussions around neurodivergence focus on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—both of which have not been properly diagnosed over the past several decades. However, neurodivergence also incorporates anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and learning disabilities (each of which is often comorbid with other neurodivergent conditions)—and several of which will also be discussed in this Article. Neurodivergent law students process, synthesize, and impact the legal world differently from their neurotypical peers. This, in turn, influences neurodivergent law students’ foundational skills in studying, testing, and professional interactions both in law school and practice. This Article identifies educational and professional skill supports that law schools can implement to coach neurodivergent law students to build the skills they may struggle to develop through traditional law school pedagogy. It further proposes ways that legal education can adapt curricula with neurodivergent students in mind, thereby helping all law students improve their foundational skills for licensure and practice.
Recommended Citation
Lux, Erica M.
(2026)
"Put Me In, Coach: Enhancing Foundational Lawyering Skills Across the Curriculum with Neurodivergent Law Students in Mind,"
Mitchell Hamline Law Review: Vol. 52:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://open.mitchellhamline.edu/mhlr/vol52/iss2/4