Health Law and Policy Courses
594 – Bioethics
Students will act as a court or administrative agency and write opinions addressing emerging legal issues created by society’s advancement in medicine and technology, including genetics, medical experimentation and research, reproductive rights and end-of-life decisions.
657 – Biotechnology Law and Policy
Biotechnology is a major growth industry and both large and boutique law firms are establishing biotech or “life sciences” practice groups. This course surveys a range of legal topics in this field, such as: FDA regulation of drugs and devices, regulation of medical research, products liability, insurance coverage of pharmaceuticals, intellectual property, and genetics. Offered on a periodic basis.
352 – FDA Law: Doctrine, Policy, and Practice
This course will introduce students to basic principles of food and drug law and examine how significant doctrines of constitutional, administrative, and criminal law have been elaborated and applied in the food and drug context. The United States Food and Drug Administration has a pervasive role in American society: the agency reports that it regulates products accounting for 20 cents of every dollar spent by consumers. Infused by the instructor’s experience of nearly 30 years of legal practice in the field, in both government and industry, the course will also explore the complex interplay of legal, ethical, policy, scientific/medical, and political considerations that underlie FDA’s regulatory authority, its policy-making, and its enforcement activity. “Case studies” will predominate in the curriculum. They are intended to bring the material “to life” – to illustrate the practical experience of lawyers, and FDA’s policy and enforcement choices, in the crucible of managing highly challenging regulatory issues.
498 – Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Law
This course offers an overview of the historical, legal, and policy framework for food and agriculture in the United States. Agricultural and food laws and regulations play a vital role in determining both the health outcomes for our nation and the level of environmental impact to shared natural resources such as air, water, soil, and biodiversity. The course discusses federal environmental statutes in the context of food and agricultural production and provides an introduction to the U.S. Farm Bill, pesticides, farmed animal welfare, genetically modified foods, food access, food safety, and labeling schemes.
437 – Food Law and Policy
This course explores food safety regulations and food access/food justice issues. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the course analyzes issues of sustainability, organic and fair trade labeling law, seed and gene patenting, and international food aid. The course is cross-listed in the Divinity School and in the Center for Bioethics, Health and Society.
525 – Health Care Law and Policy
This course introduces students to the structure, financing and regulation of the health care system and proposals for its reform. Legal topics include Medicare, medical staff disputes, health care antitrust, HMOs and insurance regulation.
399 – Medical-Legal Partnerships Clinic
This experiential clinic course focuses on the attainment of fundamental lawyering skills through direct client representation and advocacy, with a particular emphasis on problem-solving and legal remedies to address health-harming legal needs. Through collaboration with healthcare providers, students will identify legal issues that negatively contribute to the health of low-income patient-clients and develop a comprehensive, interprofessional strategy to overcome barriers to health justice.
524 – Medical Liability and Treatment Relationships
An exploration of several legal aspects of the practice of medicine including medical malpractice, informed consent, hospital liability, and the right to die.
480 – Selected Topics in Health Law LAWR III
This writing-intensive course focuses on several hot topics in health law, including public health issues, physician employment contracts, regenerative medicine and the right to try, and telemedicine. The content units will be taught through a series of simulations and case files. The course will meet once a week for a 2-hour class, during the spring semester. While learning substantive health care law, the students will also draft and/or critique both transactional and litigation-based documents.
