Academics

Dickinson Law professors named 2017 Health Law Scholars

Medha Makhlouf, assistant professor of law and director, Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, and Matthew J.B. Lawrence, assistant professor of law, were named 2017 Health Law Scholars at the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics' 2017 Health Law Professors Conference. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Medha Makhlouf, assistant professor of law and director, Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, and Matthew J.B. Lawrence, assistant professor of law, were named 2017 Health Law Scholars at the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics’ 2017 Health Law Professors Conference.

Each year, a nominating committee chooses four Health Law Scholars through a competitive process that looks for work being developed by junior scholars with an original thesis and that will contribute to the scholarly literature. Scholars present their work during the Health Law Scholars Workshop held in October in St. Louis. The workshop is sponsored by the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics and Saint Louis University Law School. This is the first time in the history of the Health Law Scholars Workshop that two scholars from the same institution have been selected.

“The fact that Dickinson Law faculty comprise two of the four Health Law Scholars this year is a significant recognition of the Law School’s emphasis in the law and health care space,” said Gary S. Gildin, dean, Dickinson Law. “Professors Makhlouf and Lawrence are leaders of a new generation of scholars in the evolving and critical field and are most deserving of this award.”

Senior Health Law Scholars from law schools across the country participate in the workshop and offer feedback, support and advice on the Health Law Scholars’ works in progress. Makhlouf presented her work in progress “Health Justice for Immigrants,” which examines the issue of disparities in access to health care in immigrant communities living in the United States through a social justice lens. Lawrence presented his work in progress “Solving the Secondary Cost Problem in Health Insurance,” which evaluates the case for balance billing laws and proposes new insurance market reforms to reduce the burden of medical debt on families.

“The Health Law Scholars Workshop is a terrific example of how incredibly supportive and welcoming the health law community truly is,” said Lawrence. “It was an honor to participate.”

At Dickinson Law, Makhlouf and Lawrence are working together to advance the law school’s impact in health care law through medical-legal advocacy with Penn State Health, joint degree programming with Penn State College of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences, and initiatives with the Penn State Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Penn State Center for Medical Innovation.

Makhlouf received her J.D. from Yale Law School. Her primary research interests lie at the intersection of health, law and poverty. Lawrence earned his J.D. from New York University Law School and served as a post-graduate academic fellow and lecturer at Harvard Law School’s Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Bioethics and Biotechnology.

Last Updated October 17, 2017

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