According to U.S. News & World Report, the top law school for the study of health care law is at St. Louis University (SLU). The health law program at SLU is a part of the broadly construed legal education that all law students receive at the SLU law school. SLU offers a certificate in health law for students who have completed their basic Juris Doctor (JD) requirements and have taken specialized training in the field. Students are expected to complete an additional ten credit hours beyond their regular coursework. Students are also expected to participate in an externship program under the supervision of established legal counsel already working in the field. Students are also expected to research and write publishable-quality work in the field before being awarded the certificate. They are also expected to attend a series of colloquia as part of the program.
St. Louis University
School of Law
3700 Lindell Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63108
314-977-2800
law.slu.edu
The University of Houston's Law Center is the second highest rated program in the field of health law in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. The university's law school is the home of the Health Law and Policy Institute. As part of the program, students can pursue a joint JD/Master of Public Health (MPH) degree plan. The school also offers a PhD in the field as well. Students are also able to pursue externships at the law school's Health Law Clinic in order to gain experience in the field. Areas of study covered by the program include topics such as biotechnology and the law, children's rights, comparative health law, e-health law, genetics and the law, forensic medicine and insurance law, and many others.
University of Houston
Law Center
100 Law Center
Houston, TX 77204
713-743-2280
www.law.uh.edu
Tied with the University of Houston for the second highest rated health law program in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report, is the University of Maryland's School of Law. Like the program at St. Louis University, the University of Maryland's health care law program is offered as a certificate for completed coursework beyond the traditional JD curriculum. Topics covered by the program run the gamut and include neuroscience, mental disability, administrative law, bioethics, biotechnology and critical issues in health care, to name only a few. Students are also expected to gain hands-on training through externship programs, practicums, research and writing.
University of Maryland
School of Law
500 W. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-706-3492
www.law.umaryland.edu