The full, unabidged slides from last week's meeting can be viewed here.

$100 for an aspirin?! $4,000 for an MRI?!

Come learn about how your physician and hospital gets paid.

The Health Law Organization hosts an overview on the fractured U.S. healthcare payment system with

DR. ROBERT MORGAN

Professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health
Division of Management, Policy, and Community Health

Wednesday, April 13 at Noon

240 BLB

Really awesome food from ZOE’S KITCHEN will be provided for the first 50 attendees!

Interested in learning about innovative crime reduction measures? How about empowering people in need?

Come hear about STAR Drug Court--Harris County's alternative program for non-violent, repeat drug offenders.

Panelists are Judge Denise Bradley, Assistant District Attorney Tara George, Defense Attorney Michelle Beck, and STAR Drug Court Program Manager Laura McCarty.

Wednesday, March 23, at NOON in BLB 240.

Croissant sandwiches for the first 60 people.

HLO is gearing up to pass the torch to next year's officers. If you are interested in a position, please email president@houstonhealthlaw.org by the end of this weekend so we can figure out whether an election is needed. Let us know if you have any questions about any of the positions.

HLO Executive Board Positions:

President: Serves as chief liaison between HLO, the law school, and the legal community. Works with the rest of the executive board to set goals for the school year. Identifies and creates plans for long term organizational projects. Contacts speakers for HLO meetings along with the Vice President. Ensures that all other officers are able to carry out their duties.

Vice-President: Assists the President with long term organizational projects and contacting speakers.  Runs executive board meetings. Ensures that all other officers are able to carry out their duties.

Treasurer: Handles the financial affairs of the organization, including but not limited to: coordinating reimbursement requests, assisting other officers in fundraising, and filing tax forms.

External Affairs Officer:  With the assistance of other executive officers, coordinates HLO activities that involve non-law students. This includes but is not limited to alumni relations, fundraising, HBA or other professional group liaison, and philanthropy.

Internal Affairs Officer:With the assistance of other executive officers, coordinates HLO activities that involve law students. This includes but is not limited to overseeing recruitment, meeting planning and promotion, and social events.

Net & Tech. Officer:Is responsible for managing www.houstonhealthlaw.org, including the outline database.

Philanthropy Chair: Coordinates 1or 2 philanthropy events with the assistance of other members.

Thanks to Profs. Bruhl, Chandler, and Mantel for leading an engaging discussion on the current issues surrounding health care reform. 

For those interested in checking out the various suits against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, check out acalitigation.blogspot.com for more information.

Cases Prof. Bruhl mentioned in the discussion:

4th Cir.
Virginia ex rel. Cuccinelli v. Sebelius, 702 F. Supp. 2d 598 - Dist. Court, ED Virginia 2010 (struck down, severable)
Liberty University, Inc. v. Geithner, Dist. Court, WD Virginia 2010 (upheld)

6th Cir.
Thomas Moore Law Center v. Obama, Dist. Court, ED Michigan 2010 (upheld)
Florida ex rel. McCollum v. US Dept. of Health and Human Services, 716 F. Supp. 2d 1120 - Dist. Court, ND Florida 2010 (struck down, entire Act)
Mead v. Holder, Dist. Court, D.C. 2011 (upheld)

Health Care Reform (PPACA) One Year Later

Event Date: 02/23/2011
Room 240 BLB

The Health Law Org is hosting:

Health Care Reform - One Year Later

Come hear UHLC Professors Bruhl, Chandler, and Mantel discuss the status, effects, and hurdles of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

This discussion will focus on current federal court litigation, implementation of new regulations, and how PPACA stands to impact access and quality of health care.

Bagels with all the toppings will be provided for the first 50 people.

Hi Everyone,

HLO will be kicking off the new semester on Wednesday at noon with a repeat performance of the informal jobs talk that we did at the end of last semester.  It really seemed to be a successful meeting last time, and we know there were many others that wanted to, but were not able to attend.  Also, we will be handing out t-shirts to everyone who joined in the fall!!!  So even if you were able to make it last time, please swing by to get your t-shirt.  Those who joined and want their t-shirt, but who have yet to pay dues may do so at that time.  

We will be serving bagels from Hot Bagel (the best in Houston!).  Unfortunately all the eating rooms were already booked, so we will be downstairs in the Health Law Journal's offices (next to the business and tax journal's offices), which they have generously loaned to us.  If you don't know where that is, let me or any of the other officers know.

Recap...
What: Informal Jobs Talk
Where: HJHLP Offices
When: Wednesday, January 26th @ Noon
Why: T-shirts and Bagels!

And now a haiku from Mr. Eber:

Welcome back Wednesday
Health Law Meeting Jobs Part 2
One on One guidance

Chris Chase, VP HLO

Happy 2011! 

Hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable break. The spring semester is now upon us, and we have a lot of interesting events planned for you all. Our first event is right around the corner, so watch this space for more details on location (and food!) as we finalize them.

Professor Jessica Roberts is another one of the University of Houston Law Center's newest hires. Her research currently focuses on the theoretical implications of health law reform, the formation of genetic identity, and the antidiscrimination protection of genetic information.  Before joining the UH faculty, Professor Roberts was an Associate-in-Law at Columbia Law School and an Adjunct Professor of Disability Studies at the City University of New York.  Immediately after law school, she clerked for the Honorable Dale Wainwright of the Texas Supreme Court and the Honorable Roger L. Gregory of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

She took the time to answer a few questions for us, so you all can get to know her better!

1. How did you get interested in health law?

I've been writing (and teaching) in the area of disability law for several years now.  However, I really became committed to being a health law professor after Congress passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) in May 2008.  I've been so fascinated by that statute that it's played a major role in all of my scholarship ever since!

2. Are there any recent developments/ areas of health law that you would want to see discussed/taught at the Law Center?

I would love the opportunity to teach a seminar on genetic information.  Genetic information touches on so many different legal issues and areas of the law--health law, property, criminal law, privacy rights, antidiscrimination law, etc.--that I think it would be fantastic topic for a class.

3. Could you recommend any health law classes to take in the spring?

My Disabilities and the Law class, of course!  (Note: Professor Roberts will teach Disabilities and the Law 9 AM to 10:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Spring 2011)

4. What do you enjoy the most about being a professor?

I really enjoy the opportunity to interact with students.  Teaching is something that I find incredibly fun and rewarding.  As my current students will tell you, I love asking questions and having the class work through the issues together.  It keeps things interesting and engaging!  Frequently during class, a student will articulate a position or a perspective that makes me see an issue in a new light.  These are some of my favorite teaching moments.  I also love the opportunity to mentor.  I was very fortunate as a law student to have people willing to support me, and I hope to return the favor with my own students.  My door is always open and I'm excited to discuss class issues, potential note topics, summer jobs, clerkship applications, or just law school in general.

5. What's one thing about you that isn't on your CV that you're proud of?

That's a tough one!  I ran my first half-marathon in April of this year, so I'm very proud of that.  The race was in Central Park and it was forty degrees and rained the entire time.  After I finished, I ate an eggplant parmesan sandwich and half a pizza and promptly stopped running.  I might do another race at some point but probably not in the near future!

6. What is your favorite musical CD/ band? Alternatively, what are the last five songs you played on your MP3 player/computer?

My husband Dave is a composer/songwriter, so he is hands down my favorite musician!  I'm really a fan of all kinds of music, but since we moved back to Texas I've found myself listening to a lot of classic country.