Law and Health Sciences Concentration
The Law & Health Sciences Concentration provides students with an opportunity to pursue a focused and integrated course of study on issues at the intersection of law, medicine and science. As the debate over health care reform intensifies, as new medical technologies raise a host of ethical challenges, and as scientific evidence becomes more pervasive in our courtrooms, the need for lawyers trained with an understanding of both our health care system and scientific methods is greater than ever.
Concentrating in Health Sciences at Hastings offers students a fundamental understanding of the U.S. health care system and basic scientific principles necessary for work in this area. The foundation for this understanding begins with two required courses: Health Law and Scientific Methods for Lawyers. The survey course in Health Law introduces students to the range of topics encompassed within its field. Scientific Methods for Lawyers equips students to bring a sophisticated understanding and interpretive skills to the scientific materials so critical to interdisciplinary work in law and health sciences. The third required course, the Health Sciences Concentration Seminar examines important themes and emerging issues related to health sciences and the law with the help of experts from UCSF and Hastings. There is a wide array of courses related to both health and science now available at Hastings to round out the upper-level concentration requirements. The course offerings include, but are not limited to: Food & Drug Law; Global Health Law & Policy; Health Finance, Administration & Policy; Modern Bioethics; Public Health Law; Science in Law. Specialized seminars are offered on subjects such as Bioethics, Law & Health Care Decisionmaking; Child Maltreatment in Context; Forensic Evidence; Genetics: Issues in Law & Policy; Law & the Human Body; Psychiatry & Law; Public Health & Homelessness; Social, Legal & Ethical Implications of Human Reproductive & Genetic Technologies; Women's Health & the Law. In addition students can elect to take up to six units of coursework at UCSF.
Concentrators can participate in research and service opportunities that arise from networking in the Consortium's broader community of scholars. Faculty members at Hastings and UCSF are engaged in a wide range of research projects and are eager to involve concentrators. Beginning in Fall 2012, students can also register for the Medical-Legal Partnership for Seniors, a 6-unit clinic that involves provision of services to seniors within specific UCSF-affiliated medical settings. Further information about the program can be found on page 58. Students interested in the Clinic should plan to complete its pre-requisites (Elder Law; Wills and Trusts) prior to enrolling in the Clinic.
CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS : All concentrators must successfully complete the concentration seminar in Law and Health Sciences. It is recommended that students complete this seminar during their second year of law school, although third years will be permitted to enroll. Students in the seminar will prepare a scholarly research paper which satisfies the Hastings writing requirement and the Law & Health Sciences Concentration writing requirement. Students completing the Concentration must also take Health Law and Scientific Methods. The remaining credit requirements for the Concentration can be obtained from the class lists below. As noted, however, at least 7 units must be completed out of the list of "Science and Health Specific Electives."
Advisor: Professor Sarah Hooper
TOTAL UNITS REQUIRED: 20
A. Required Courses [9 units]
Law and Health Sciences Concentration Seminar (2) (Successful completion of the paper satisfies the Hastings= writing requirement. Students are encouraged to enroll in this Seminar in their second year.)
- and -
Health Law (4)
Scientific Methods for Lawyers (3) (This course may be waived by the Concentration Advisor if the student has extensive training in statistics and research methods at the undergraduate or graduate level.)
B. Qualifying Courses in Science and Health and Related Electives
I. Science and Health Specific Electives (students must take a minimum of 7 units from this list)
[Students may take up to 6 credit hours of any approved UCSF classes toward this requirement.]
Courses:
Administrative Law (3)
Elder Law (3)
Food and Drug Law (3)
Global Health Law & Policy (3)
Health Care Finance, Administration & Policy (3)
Law, Psychiatry & the Mental health System (2) (students may take this course OR Psychiatry & Law Seminar)
Medical Liability Law (2) (will be offered in 2012-13)
Modern Bioethics: From Nuremburg to the “Octomom” and Beyond (3 or 4)
Personal Injury Litigation (2)
Public Health Law (3)
Science in Law (2 or 3)
Clinics:
Medical-Legal Partnership for Seniors (6) (Up to 4 units can be counted toward the Concentration requirements)
Seminars:
Bioethics, Law & Healthcare Decisionmaking
Seminar (2)
Child Maltreatment in Context Seminar (2)
Constitution and the Family Seminar (2)
Disability Law Seminar (2)
Forensic Evidence Seminar (2)
Genetics: Issues in Law & Policy Seminar (2)
Germs, Globalization and Governance Seminar (2)
Incentives in Health Care Seminar (2)
Law and Biosciences (LAB Project Seminar) (3)
Law and Economics Seminar (2)
Law and the Human Body Seminar (2)
Law & Social Anthropology Seminar (2)
Psychiatry & Law Seminar (2) (students may take this course OR Law, Psychiatry & the Mental Health System)
Public Health & Homelessness Seminar (2)
Social, Legal & Ethical Implications of Human Reproductive & Genetic Tech. Seminar (2)
Sociology of the Criminal Justice System Seminar (2)
Women’s Health & the Law (2)
II. Science and Health Related Electives (students may apply no more than four units from this list toward the Concentration)
Children & the Law (2)
Class Action Seminar (2)
Domestic Violence Law (3)
Education Law (3)
Employment Discrimination (1st yr. elective OR Employment Law Seminar (3) (OR other employment law offering approved by concentration advisor)
Family Law (3 or 4)
Insurance Law (2 or 3)
International Human Rights (3)
Mediation (3) OR Negotiation & Mediation: Process & Practice (3 or 4 units) (OR other Mediation course approved by concentration advisor)
Problem Solving and Professional Judgment (3)
Public Policy Advocacy Seminar (2)
Race, Racism & American Law (3)
Sexuality and the Law (2)
Special Education Law Seminar (2)