Health Care Law
Updated November 2024
Books & Narratives
Hermann, R.L. Health Law: Career opportunities in a fast-changing environment. Delaware: H Watson Consulting LLC, 2017.
Describes typical health law employers, how to get into the field, and the type of issues health lawyers may face.
KF299 .M43 H47 2017 V.3 -- Office of Career Services
Singer, Lawrence et al. Careers in health law. Chicago: American Bar Association, 2014.
Offers advice on how to prepare and apply for jobs in health law, as well as where to look for health law jobs.
KF299 .M43 S58 2014 -- Office of Career Services
Databases and Websites
WESTLAW: West's Legal Directory: Health
American Health Lawyers Association Job Listings
This site provides listings of job opportunities for health lawyers.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Careers at CMS
CMS offers assignments with the federal government. The site also provides a list of current openings and special programs that hire students.
Health and Human Services Dept. Careers
The HHS website provides information about careers with the Health and Human Services Department.
Jobs @ NIH
Database of jobs available at the National Institutes of Health
Career website Vault has a webpage with information on practicing in health law, including an overview of what the field involves, Q&As with health law attorneys, and advice on developing a career in the field. Also has a list of law firms working in health law that were rated best to work for by a survey of associates.
Journal and Website Articles
Chambers Associate, "Becoming a Life Sciences Lawyer - the View from Goodwin".
Seven associates from Goodwin describe their work, including their most and least favorite parts of the job.
Chambers Associate, "Healthcare".
Briefly describes what is involved in the health law field and what the major present-day issues are. Also has quotes from practitioners describing the type of work they normally do.
Chambers Associate, "Life sciences: the basics".
Describes the areas of law a life sciences attorney works with, what the job is like, and lists current important issues in the field.
"Health Law: PDJD Career Guide", PSJD: Your Pathway to Public Service Legal Careers.
Describes the legal fields a health law attorney might deal with, as well as the types of organizations they might work for and what to do in law school to help develop a career in the field. Includes useful web links.
Pattanayak, Catherine, et al. "Health Law: A Career Guide", Harvard Law School (2012).
Thorough guide describing the type of work and possible settings attorneys dealing with health law may encounter.
Perlin, Jonah. How I Lawyer.
In this podcast series, Jonah Perlin talks with attorneys working with various types of organizations and in different areas of law about how they got their current job and what their work is like. Perlin has talked with several attorneys in the healthcare field, including Alé Dalton, a healthcare transactional attorney with Bradley LLP; Adam Yoffie, Senior Counsel for Litigation & Government Investigations at Bristol Myers Squibb; Suzanne Levy Friedman, Senior Associate in the Medical Devices and Technology Regulatory Group at Hogan Lovells; and Suchi Pachi, former Director of Privacy and Business Affairs and Acting Chief Privacy Officer at Rally Health.
Organizations
The following organizations are active or maintain an interest in health care law. They offer membership opportunities, information on the industry, and possible employment opportunities. Most of them sponsor seminars or conferences on relevant topics.
American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL)
1 Regency Drive, P.O. Box 30
Bloomfield, CT 06002
tel: (800) 331-1389
website: http://www.aapl.org/
For American Psychiatric Association members. Seeks to exchange ideas and experience in those areas where psychiatry and the law overlap.
American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA Executive Office)
3416 Primm Lane
Birmingham, Alabama 35216
tel: (877) 538-2262
e-mail: TAANA@primemanagement.net
website: http://www.taana.org
Nurse attorneys, attorneys in nursing school, nurses in law school; aims to improve the profession and to inform the public on matters of nursing, health care, and the law. Membership includes ability to join TAANA's attorney referral program and a chance to participate in TAANA's biennial group admission to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.
American Bar Association, Health Law Section
321 N. Clark St.
Chicago, Il 60654-7598
website: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/health_law.html
Virginia Bar Association, Health Law Section
website: https://www.vba.org/page/health_law
The ABA and many state bar associations have special interest sections for attorneys practicing in the health care field. Some of these associations have a student membership category.
American College of Legal Medicine (ACLM)
515 N Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60654
tel: (312) 624-9681
website: https://www.aclm.org/
Persons who hold degrees in medicine, dentistry, law and nursing. Promotes and advances the field of legal medicine or medical jurisprudence; arranges for meetings with medical, legal, and professional groups and legislative, judicial, and enforcement bodies interested in any province where law and medicine are contiguous; fosters and encourages centers for study and research in the field of legal medicine and publishes materials pertaining to legal medicine.
American Health Law Association (AHLA)
1099 14th St. NW, Suite 925
Washington, DC 20005
tel: (202) 833-1100
website: https://www.americanhealthlaw.org/
Attorneys who represent or are employees of hospitals or other health organizations. Works to disseminate information on health care law and legislation; keep members abreast of court decisions in the health care field; conduct legal seminars and institutes.
American Society for Law, Medicine and Ethics (ASLME)
765 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 1704
Boston, MA 02215
tel: (617) 262-4990
e-mail: info@aslme.org
website: https://www.aslme.org
Physicians, attorneys, health care management executives, nurses, insurance company personnel, members of the judiciary, and others interested in medicolegal relations, health law, and ethics. Purpose is to provide opportunities for continuing education through publications, conferences, and information clearinghouse.
American Society for Pharmacy Law (ASPL)
1900 E. College Ave., Suite A401
Normal, IL 61761
tel: (217) 529-6948
email: info@aspl.org
website: https://www.aspl.org
Pharmacists, lawyers, and students. Purposes are to: further legal knowledge; communicate accurate legal information to pharmacists; foster knowledge and education pertaining to the rights and duties of pharmacists; distribute information of interest to members; provide a forum for exchange of information pertaining to pharmacy law.
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD)
675 N. Washington St., Ste. 470
Alexandria, VA 22314
tel: (703) 739-9333
website: https://www.nasmhpd.org
State commissioners in charge of the state mental disability programs; associate members are assistant commissioners for children and youth research aged legal services forensic services human resource development and community programs. Promotes cooperation of state government agencies in delivery of services to mentally disabled persons; fosters the exchange of scientific and programmatic information in the administration of public mental health programs including mental illness treatment programs community and hospital care of mentally ill mentally retarded alcoholic and drug addicted persons. Monitors state and federal and congressional activities; gathers and analyzes information on organization structure funding and programming of state government mental health programs. A cooperating agency of the National Governors' Association and the Council of State Governments.
National Health Law Program (NHELP)
3701 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. #750
Los Angeles, CA 90010
tel: (310) 204-6010
email: nhelp@healthlaw.org
website: http://www.healthlaw.org
Attorneys, health specialists and other interested persons. Provides assistance to legal services program attorneys and their clients in matters involving health problems of the poor. Offers information referral and consultation on litigation strategy. Prepares materials for and conducts training sessions for and with field program attorneys and paralegals. Coordinates testimony for particular hearings. Maintains health law and policy library.
DC Office:
1444 I St. NW
Suite 1105
Washington, DC 20005
tel: (202) 289-7661
North Carolina Office:
1512 E. Franklin St., Suite 110
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
tel: (919) 968-6308
The Network for Public Health Law
7101 York Ave. South, Suite 270
Edina, MN 55435
website: https://www.networkforphl.org/
An organization intended to help connect practitioners, attorneys, government officials, and advocates in order to help achieve public health goals.
Photo: Associated Press