Practical experience in law school can help law students identify their passions and interests as they seek to understand what sort of lawyer they will become. Sometimes learning what you do not enjoy or have no interest in is just as important as learning what you enjoy! The Law Student Engagement Committee (LSEC) strives to connect law students with the work of the Section to provide students with such insights. Another opportunity is to participate in a law school clinical, where law students can engage in substantive work, often with clients, on important legal and policy matters. Below, Landon McKinney, Vice-Chair of LSEC, describes the value of participating in law school health clinics.
—David Husband, Co-Chair of LSEC
Law school health clinics offer students a unique opportunity to learn a breadth of legal skills, while engaging in community service, by addressing critical health care legal needs for underserved community members. Navigating the U.S. health care system is challenging, and law students can help.
Law school health law clinics play a crucial role in supporting underserved, low-income communities by addressing critical gaps in the U.S. health care and legal systems. Through their pro bono services, these clinics provide legal representation and advocacy for individuals facing health care access barriers, such as those related to insurance coverage, disability rights, and patient care. By focusing on issues like medical debt, mental health, and public benefits, health law clinics help individuals secure essential care and assert their rights. As Matthew Hancock, a current student in Suffolk University Law School’s Health Law Clinic, describes, “Our clinic addresses each of its cases with an approach that emphasizes disability rights while also considering the intersectional impacts of poverty, race, and other identities on the social determinants of health.”
By working directly with clients, students gain experience in interviewing, counseling, and advocating for vulnerable populations. They draft documents, negotiate, and even represent clients in administrative hearings, all under faculty supervision. Through these real-world cases, students develop a deeper understanding of healt care laws and policies and how they impact individuals facing health-related legal issues. According to Hancock, “Through my cases, I’ve conducted client interviews with language barriers and interpreters, prepared court documents and filed for guardianships, performed oral arguments during court hearings, and educated clients on their guardianship rights and responsibilities.” Health law clinics, therefore, bridge academic knowledge and practical application, shaping students into well-rounded, client-centered advocates.
Hancock also highlights the ability to take the skills he has learned into other positions or roles noting, “Many health law clinics work with underserved clients, including individuals who need help accessing health care services or appealing insurance denials, but health law isn’t limited to non-profit work. Hospitals, clinics, and large health care systems frequently need lawyers to ensure they comply with state and federal regulations, manage risk, and maintain patient confidentiality under laws like HIPAA.”
Law school health clinics not only provide vital legal services to those communities in need but also prepare the next generation of health law advocates. Their continued legal work is crucial to enabling local communities to be able to achieve their right and access to adequate health care and government funded programs.
