Student Opportunities
Course Offerings
Health Justice Project (4 credit hours)
The Health Justice Project is an interprofessional law school clinic offering students an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of legal practice, engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, and explore creative upstream problem solving. Through collaborative and holistic representation of vulnerable low-income patients using the medical-legal partnership model, student attorneys address the social, legal, and systemic barriers that prevent long-term health and stability for clients. Cases may include public benefits, access to health care, disability, education, housing, immigration, family law, and other legal issues impacting health and well-being. Students manage cases in interdisciplinary student teams maintaining client relationships, preparing pleadings, legal correspondence and appeals, attending hearings and court appearances, collaborating with health center partners, and tending to all other client matters throughout the semester.
The HJP clinic course consists of a weekly two-hour seminar class, weekly case supervision meetings, and clinic office hours. The HJP requires a significant time commitment—students should expect to spend 2-4 hours per week on seminar readings and assignments, 6-10 hours per week on client casework and supervision meetings and must participate in a mandatory full-day orientation on the first Friday of classes.
The HJP clinic is open to 2Ls, 3Ls and 4Ls and there are no prerequisites. Students must obtain instructor permission to enroll in this class. To seek permission, complete the HJP Interest Form here.
Advanced Health Justice Project (2-4 credit hours)
Students who have successfully completed the Health Justice Project Clinic may enroll in Advanced Health Justice Project with faculty permission. Advanced HJP students will continue to represent clients and complete projects to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable low-income families and individuals in Chicago and the near western suburbs through holistic, collaborative, and systemic advocacy. To request enrollment in Advanced HJP, send an email request to HJP Director Kate Mitchell to kmitchell9@luc.edu with an explanation of your interest and the number of credits you are requesting (2-4).
Access to Health Care (Spring only) (3 credit hours)
This course explores the role of racism and poverty in the construction of the health care system and public health insurance systems in the United States using Mississippi as a case study. The course is intended to expose students to historical perspectives on the creation of the US health care system, ensure an understanding of how health care and insurance systems work in present day to ensure or limit access to care, expose students to factors that contribute to health inequities, and prepare students to advocate for systems change to create more equitable health care systems and address health inequities. This course is centered around health equity and policy issues in Mississippi and a significant component of the course is participation in an intensive field study in Mississippi during spring break. Classes will meet for the first half of the semester and again the final week of classes for final policy project presentations. During the second half of the semester student teams will meet with faculty for supervision of policy projects. The final project in this course will be a health access and/or equity policy project in collaboration with the Center for Mississippi Health Policy and other Mississippi based organizations.
This course is a prospective elective and experiential live client experience credit course open to 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and 4Ls. There are no prerequisites.
Health Justice Policy Practicum (Alternating Fall Offering) (3 credit hours)
Health Justice Policy Practicum explores health justice issues and policy advocacy. Adjunct faculty from Legal Council for Health Justice (“LCHJ”) guide students through the policy advocacy approaches to improving systems and health and well-being. Law students and medical students will work on policy projects with LCHJ.
This course is offered as part of the weekend program and is open to weekend and full-time students. There are no prerequisites for this course. It satisfies the LCE and BCCR credit requirements. This class requires no application.
The Health Justice Policy Practicum is open to 2L, 3L and 4L students.
Health Justice Practicum (Alternating Fall Offering) (3 credit hours)
Students will address the health harming legal needs of vulnerable low-income families and individuals by conducting holistic client intake interviews with patients referred to Legal Aid Chicago’s medical-legal partnership projects. Students will engage in issue spotting, legal research, identifying appropriate resources, and drafting intake memos and advice and referral letters to clients. Students may also participate in pro se outreach at health clinics, providing direct support to patients preparing pro se legal documents. Students may handle cases in a variety of areas of law including public benefits, access to health care, disability, education, housing, family law, as well as other areas of law that impact client health and well-being. Enrollment in the Clinic requires a significant time commitment and flexibility in the student’s schedule. Students are required to manage their own intakes, collaborate with health partners, and be responsive to supervising attorneys.
The Health Justice Practicum is geared towards weekend students and consists of a bi-weekly four-hour seminar, remote weekly intakes and research on cases, and remote supervision with an adjunct instructor from Legal Aid Chicago. Students should expect to spend 4 hours weekly on intake activities and 3 hours per week on readings and assignments.
The Health Justice Practicum is open to 2L, 3L and 4L students.
Course Offerings
Health Justice Project (4 credit hours)
The Health Justice Project is an interprofessional law school clinic offering students an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of legal practice, engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, and explore creative upstream problem solving. Through collaborative and holistic representation of vulnerable low-income patients using the medical-legal partnership model, student attorneys address the social, legal, and systemic barriers that prevent long-term health and stability for clients. Cases may include public benefits, access to health care, disability, education, housing, immigration, family law, and other legal issues impacting health and well-being. Students manage cases in interdisciplinary student teams maintaining client relationships, preparing pleadings, legal correspondence and appeals, attending hearings and court appearances, collaborating with health center partners, and tending to all other client matters throughout the semester.
The HJP clinic course consists of a weekly two-hour seminar class, weekly case supervision meetings, and clinic office hours. The HJP requires a significant time commitment—students should expect to spend 2-4 hours per week on seminar readings and assignments, 6-10 hours per week on client casework and supervision meetings and must participate in a mandatory full-day orientation on the first Friday of classes.
The HJP clinic is open to 2Ls, 3Ls and 4Ls and there are no prerequisites. Students must obtain instructor permission to enroll in this class. To seek permission, complete the HJP Interest Form here.
Advanced Health Justice Project (2-4 credit hours)
Students who have successfully completed the Health Justice Project Clinic may enroll in Advanced Health Justice Project with faculty permission. Advanced HJP students will continue to represent clients and complete projects to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable low-income families and individuals in Chicago and the near western suburbs through holistic, collaborative, and systemic advocacy. To request enrollment in Advanced HJP, send an email request to HJP Director Kate Mitchell to kmitchell9@luc.edu with an explanation of your interest and the number of credits you are requesting (2-4).
Access to Health Care (Spring only) (3 credit hours)
This course explores the role of racism and poverty in the construction of the health care system and public health insurance systems in the United States using Mississippi as a case study. The course is intended to expose students to historical perspectives on the creation of the US health care system, ensure an understanding of how health care and insurance systems work in present day to ensure or limit access to care, expose students to factors that contribute to health inequities, and prepare students to advocate for systems change to create more equitable health care systems and address health inequities. This course is centered around health equity and policy issues in Mississippi and a significant component of the course is participation in an intensive field study in Mississippi during spring break. Classes will meet for the first half of the semester and again the final week of classes for final policy project presentations. During the second half of the semester student teams will meet with faculty for supervision of policy projects. The final project in this course will be a health access and/or equity policy project in collaboration with the Center for Mississippi Health Policy and other Mississippi based organizations.
This course is a prospective elective and experiential live client experience credit course open to 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and 4Ls. There are no prerequisites.
Health Justice Policy Practicum (Alternating Fall Offering) (3 credit hours)
Health Justice Policy Practicum explores health justice issues and policy advocacy. Adjunct faculty from Legal Council for Health Justice (“LCHJ”) guide students through the policy advocacy approaches to improving systems and health and well-being. Law students and medical students will work on policy projects with LCHJ.
This course is offered as part of the weekend program and is open to weekend and full-time students. There are no prerequisites for this course. It satisfies the LCE and BCCR credit requirements. This class requires no application.
The Health Justice Policy Practicum is open to 2L, 3L and 4L students.
Health Justice Practicum (Alternating Fall Offering) (3 credit hours)
Students will address the health harming legal needs of vulnerable low-income families and individuals by conducting holistic client intake interviews with patients referred to Legal Aid Chicago’s medical-legal partnership projects. Students will engage in issue spotting, legal research, identifying appropriate resources, and drafting intake memos and advice and referral letters to clients. Students may also participate in pro se outreach at health clinics, providing direct support to patients preparing pro se legal documents. Students may handle cases in a variety of areas of law including public benefits, access to health care, disability, education, housing, family law, as well as other areas of law that impact client health and well-being. Enrollment in the Clinic requires a significant time commitment and flexibility in the student’s schedule. Students are required to manage their own intakes, collaborate with health partners, and be responsive to supervising attorneys.
The Health Justice Practicum is geared towards weekend students and consists of a bi-weekly four-hour seminar, remote weekly intakes and research on cases, and remote supervision with an adjunct instructor from Legal Aid Chicago. Students should expect to spend 4 hours weekly on intake activities and 3 hours per week on readings and assignments.
The Health Justice Practicum is open to 2L, 3L and 4L students.