Health Law Forum

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mjb77

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Health Law

Post by mjb77 » Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:57 am

I'm looking for some insight concerning the health law field. I'm quite interested in this field and I've been doing some research one it. However, the top schools to attend in this field are not top ranked schools. Will this have any bearing when it comes time to getting a job?

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Skool

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Re: Health Law

Post by Skool » Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:10 am

Unfortunately, employers in niche areas don't value students just because they graduated from a law school that claims to train students in those super niche areas.

If you want to get into any area of law, whether it's health law, immigration, or bankruptcy the same rules apply: do well on the LSAT and aim for the highest rank school you can get into and would attend. Make sure you're applying to schools that could place you in your preferred region. Then compare the scholarship offers from that highest ranked school with lesser schools and balance job opportunities vs. price.

Health law is really a combination of a wide array of issues and interests. It's personal injury/tort law, reproductive rights, disabilities rights, constitutional law, insurance/pension regulation, end of life related issues, and so many others. Just because a school has a health law program doesn't mean it will have classes and clinics that will give you what you're interested in, and just because a school doesn't have a health law program doesn't mean you won't be able to explore what you're interested in.

I wouldn't worry about health law right now, I would just focus on the fundamentals of applying to law school.

albanach

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Re: Health Law

Post by albanach » Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:43 pm

Skool wrote:Unfortunately, employers in niche areas don't value students just because they graduated from a law school that claims to train students in those super niche areas.

...

I wouldn't worry about health law right now, I would just focus on the fundamentals of applying to law school.
Generally this is correct advice.

However, a number of schools that have "highly ranked" healthcare programs are close to, or in some way associated with, large hospital systems. A number of their top graduates likely work either at those institutions, or in local big- and mid-law firms servicing them. The schools are probably good at getting students into some clerkship programs/externships at these large hospitals.

Now that doesn't mean that you should forego a higher-ranked school. But if you do go to, say a T14 school that's not highly ranked for its healthcare program, you may have to work a bit harder at forging those connections yourself. After your first year you should absolutely be looking to spend time in a hospital legal department - ideally one large enough that they don't have to farm out every project.

mjb77

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Re: Health Law

Post by mjb77 » Wed Jun 20, 2018 9:25 am

Thank you both for your help!

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