About Health Law
Health Law is a broad field both in terms of the nature of the clients and the nature of the issues. Health care lawyers work in many settings. They work in law firms of all sizes, but are often in larger firms with departments specializing in health care law. They work for nonprofit advocacy groups and also work directly for health care providers, as in-house counsel for hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and health maintenance organizations. Finally, others work for government agencies or for professional and trade associations, such as state hospital associations, medical associations, and nursing associations.
Health care lawyers in private practice often represent health care providers, such as hospitals, nursing homes, health maintenance organizations, physicians, dentists, clinical laboratories, and health insurance carriers, to name just a few. These providers often seek legal advice on general corporate and employment matters but also need representation on issues unique to the health care industry. They may, for instance, represent clients before state and federal agencies that regulate the industry. Health care lawyers also represent consumers and patients on issues related to their care. Those in government agencies may do regulatory work or represent the state against nursing homes, insurance companies, or medical personnel involved in licensing issues.
Health Law covers a broad array of matters, including those involving Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, certificates of need, insurance regulation, medical-staff relationships, bioethics, informed consent, risk management, professional licensure and certification. Health care lawyers may also assist their clients with many types of litigation, from antitrust to health care fraud. Because the health care industry is highly regulated, health care lawyers carefully monitor legislation concerning the industry and may be involved in developing legislative strategies and as lobbyists.
There are three major sectors of health law curriculum: Business, Consumer, Public Health, and Wellness. Business Health Law revolves around the business and regulation of health systems, products, and actors. Consumer Health Law focuses on patients’ rights, public benefits, private benefits, and long-term planning care. Public Health Law is systems-based, involving work on the health of populations and communities, including police powers and government regulation.
Courses
Note: Whether a particular course is scheduled depends on faculty availability and student demand. View the Course Descriptions for more information about each course and when it's offered.
General Core Courses
These are the foundational courses that employers expect a student interested in this specialty to have.
Recommended Law Courses: Business Health Law
- Antitrust
- Business Organizations: Partnership, LLC & Closely-held Corporations (formerly Bus Orgs I)
- Employee Benefits
- Employment Law
- Intro to Intellectual Property
- Taxation I
- Directed Research for Other Topics of Interest:
- International Business Law
- Food and Drug Administration Law
Recommended Law Courses: Consumer Health Law
- Employee Benefits
- Employment Law
- From Patient to Policy: Models of System-Level Advocacy
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Directed Research for Other Topics of Interest:
- Disability Rights
- Elder Law
- Immigration
- Malpractice
- Reproductive Rights
Recommended Law Courses: Public Health Law
- Antitrust
- Environmental Law
- From Patient to Policy: Models of System-Level Advocacy
- Directed Research for Other Topics of Interest:
- Disability Rights
- Ethics in Health Care
- Food and Drug Administration Law
- Immigration
- Medicaid/Medicare
- Reproductive Rights
Enrichment Courses
These courses deepen or broaden the skills and substantive information that a lawyer in this field needs and also provide advanced courses for students interested in a specialty within this area of practice.
Enrichment Courses - Other Schools & Departments
Students interested in health law are encouraged to consider some courses outside of the Law School. The following enrichment courses are offered by other schools and departments across the University. (limited to 6 credits towards J.D.)
- Determinants of Health and Health Equity
- Determinants of Population Health
- Economics of Health Care
- Health Economics
- International Health Systems
- Introduction to Finance
- Introduction to Health Services Research
- Monitoring Population Health
- Public Health and Health Care Systems
- Public Health and Social Justice
- Seminar: Contemporary Issues in Health Care
More courses and health-related curriculum guides linked at the Center for Patient Partnership's Education page.
Curriculum Questions
For Health Law curriculum questions, contact Sarah Davis, Clinical Professor & Director of the Center for Patient Partnerships
Clinics & Externships
Center for Patient Partnerships
The Center for Patient Partnerships is a national resource for strengthening the patient perspective in health care. As part of the Health Justice Clinic, students from the Law School and across campus come to this interdisciplinary health advocacy center to learn critical legal and health advocacy skills while helping patients navigate the complex health care system. Law Students gain experience with insurance appeals, public benefit enrollment, and medical decision making.
Additional opportunities are available in patient experience research and organizational and legislative policy advocacy through student-led “case to cause” projects. Students have the option to pursue a certificate in Health Advocacy.
Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
Students in the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic act as business and corporate counsel to more than 250 clients per year. Students work on legal needs like business formation, capital structure, employment and worker issues, contract drafting, and more. Students interested in intellectual property issues may also file trademark applications, perform patentability and freedom-to-operate analyses, and write proprietary and open-source licenses for technology clients.
The L&E Clinic operates similarly to a private-practice law firm. Participants manage their own client load, bill time, manage and prepare documents, and report to supervising attorneys, other students, and outside partners.
Law Externships
In externships, students spend their time working for course credit, not payment, at a field-placement site under the supervision of a practicing attorney or judge. This unique experience allows students to receive credit for learning on the job, typically in government or public service sectors, but also in other settings. Externships also include an instructional component, and students receive mentoring and supervision from an in-house Law School faculty member as well.
Student Organizations & Related Activities
Students involved in student activities and organizations are often strong job candidates. Employers look for students who show leadership, public service, and community involvement.
For a full list of student organizations at UW Law, view the Student Organizations, Journals, & Activities.
Faculty
Here are some of the full-time faculty who teach or have an interest in this subject area:
