Tim Tai, Photographer Editor

The reciprocity between academic advancement and artistic expression remains of the utmost importance for the Yale Creative Society.

The organization —  a group within the Yale Law School  — encourages an emphasis on creativity, community, and connection. Liza Anderson LAW ‘24 and Rachel Crowl LAW ‘24, the current YCS Co-Presidents, explained to the News their goals and motivations for the organization, complete with details regarding the club’s current and forthcoming activities. 

“It can be challenging for law students to balance their creative pursuits with schoolwork or to envision creativity as part of their career in the legal field,” wrote Crowl. “We provide space and resources for all types of creative pursuits, whether it be dance, comedy, music, creative writing, or fine arts.” 

Within the University, the implementation of craft nights, open mic events, and creative spaces serves to support and uplift the academic population. However, the group often reaches outward to work with and learn from those off campus as well. 

 “We regularly send a newsletter to our members with information on local creative events to encourage folks at the law school to expand their creative circles and engage with the New Haven community,” Crowl wrote. 

This encouragement remains foundational to the goals of the YCS, employing art and expression to better serve all involved. 

New developments are on the horizon, most prominently including the YCS’s forthcoming publication. According to Crowl, the group plans to hold their first Yale Law School art gallery and publish its first zine. 

This work is intended to serve a greater purpose than mere artistic appreciation — both co-presidents commented on the mental health implications of their organization’s activities. 

In light of the statistical evidence upholding that the legal field is plagued with high risks of depression and anxiety for law students and practicing lawyers, the group hopes to curb the negatively-oriented trends. 

“The benefits of creative pursuits are well-borne, and learning to manage stress early in your career can have huge upsides,” Anderson told the News. “Even just stepping out of the law school bubble for a few hours, going to an art show or an open mic night, can help you feel more grounded and more a part of your broader community.”

More concretely, the YCS hopes that their organization allows for an opportunity rarely found within legal professions—to push the boundaries and attempt creative solutions. 

“Even putting aside the benefits creative pursuits have on your mental health, learning to exercise the creative parts of your brain can make you a better law student,” wrote Anderson. “You’ll come up with better arguments, you’ll find new ways to study, you’ll see things you didn’t know to look for.”

The Yale Creative Society expanded the benefits of artistic endeavors to further contextualize the aim of their work and bring awareness to the issues often left unacknowledged throughout the Law School.

However, such resources have been more difficult to provide this term, as the Law School cut the Yale Creative Society’s budget in half.

The lack of priority on artistic expression in professional fields remains widespread, evidently depicted by the monetary allocation of the Yale Law School. 

“Ultimately, I think the law school’s decision reflects a lack of interest in creative arts that is unfortunately endemic in the legal field. Everyone—even lawyers—has a lot to learn from the arts, and I wish more people understood this,” Anderson told the News.

Despite these funding shortages, the organization continues on in their efforts, allowing for those from different backgrounds to bond over common interests. 

“The message I’d like to advocate is that everyone has the capacity for art and deserves the time, space, and encouragement to explore it,” wrote Saylor Soinski, J.D. ’23, the former Co-President of YCS.

There are currently over 150 active members within the Yale Creative Society.