Elisabeth Haub School of Law Launches Online Program in Health Law and Policy, Expanding Access to Vital Legal Education for Healthcare Professionals in a Post-Pandemic Era

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University has launched its first fully virtual program in Health Law and Policy to meet the increasing demand for legal education in the health care sector, spurred by industry growth and by an ever-evolving legal, regulatory, and financial environment for healthcare professionals.

The Law School has long offered robust training in health law and policy for both lawyers and students enrolled in its JD program, but chose to expand its Advanced Certificate in Health Law and Policy online to accommodate practicing lawyers seeking flexible education, as well as health care professionals and administrators who require the legal knowledge to adapt to changes in the industry.

“As healthcare booms in the state and in the region, legal and health care professionals need to have a strong understanding of the legal, regulatory, and economic context in which they and their clients operate.  They need to be equipped to deal with rising challenges in health equity and human rights, know how to advise on transactional and compliance matters, and be skilled in influencing public policy,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean and Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “Our new online Advanced Certificate in Healthcare Law and Policy builds on our long-standing expertise in health law and expands access to advanced legal education for working professionals from across the region and beyond.”

Haub Law designed its online Advanced Certificate in Health Law and Policy to deepen students' understanding of the regulatory complexities that affect the US healthcare system through live virtual instruction and asynchronous activities delivered by its expert faculty. Regardless of any prior legal background, students can enroll in the program on a part-time basis and have the option to finish in just one year, benefiting from a fully online class schedule.

“Specialized knowledge of health law offers increased opportunities for lawyers and professionals to advance their careers in today’s job market,” said Jessica Bacher, Director of the Health Law and Policy Program. “Our faculty are expert practitioners and researchers with decades of experience as leaders in New York healthcare organizations. Students will benefit from small group instruction delivered by professors who are at the intersection of rapid changes in the field and can help them put this knowledge to immediate use in their professions.”

The Advanced Certificate in Health Law and Policy program will accept lawyers, as well as non-lawyers, such as insurance, risk management and compliance professionals, hospital administrators, clinicians, and leaders in a broad range of allied fields, including nonprofits and government agencies who are seeking legal literacy. The program will consist of 15 credit hours with 4 core courses, including a workshop in lawyering skills. Specialized electives include insurance law, accounting for lawyers, elder law, environmental law, nonprofit organizations, the legislative process, and more, or students may opt to pursue guided research, independent research or an externship for credit.

“The healthcare sector is a huge part of the GDP, and there’s a lot of opportunity. But our system is complicated and convoluted, involving many different programs like Medicare and Medicaid,” said Haub Law Professor Barbara Atwell, a health law expert/scholar. “What sets the Advanced Certificate in Health Law and Policy apart is the way we really get to the nuts of bolts of how those programs work and the role of the law.”

Haub Law is currently accepting applications for both its in-person and online Advanced Certificates in Health Law and Policy for the Fall 2022 semester. See this page for more information.

About Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law offers JD and Masters of Law degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The school, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, NY, opened its doors in 1976 and has over 9,000 alumni around the world. The school maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. World and News Report.