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 in the construction of the health care system and public health insurance systems in the United States. The course is intended to expose students to historical perspectives on the impact of racism on our health system, allow for an understanding of how health care and insurance systems work in present day and continue to result in health inequities, and to prepare students to advocate for systems change to create more equitable health care systems and address health inequities in our society. This course is centered around health equity and policy issues in Mississippi as a case study 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. The final project will be a health access and/or equity policy project with a partner organization in Mississippi. During the second half of the semester student teams will meet with faculty weekly for supervision of policy projects.
This course is a prospective elective course open to 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and 4Ls. There are no prerequisites. There is an additional travel cost associated with this course.
Health Justice Policy Practicum (Spring only) (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 and other nonprofits engaging in health justice policy work.
This course will be offered online in the evenings and is open to weekend and full-time students. Enrollment in this course requires faculty permission. To seek permission to participate in the Health Justice Policy Practicum, please complete this interest form.
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 in the construction of the health care system and public health insurance systems in the United States. The course is intended to expose students to historical perspectives on the impact of racism on our health system, allow for an understanding of how health care and insurance systems work in present day and continue to result in health inequities, and to prepare students to advocate for systems change to create more equitable health care systems and address health inequities in our society. This course is centered around health equity and policy issues in Mississippi as a case study 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. The final project will be a health access and/or equity policy project with a partner organization in Mississippi. During the second half of the semester student teams will meet with faculty weekly for supervision of policy projects.
This course is a prospective elective course open to 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and 4Ls. There are no prerequisites. There is an additional travel cost associated with this course.
Health Justice Policy Practicum (Spring only) (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 and other nonprofits engaging in health justice policy work.
This course will be offered online in the evenings and is open to weekend and full-time students. Enrollment in this course requires faculty permission. To seek permission to participate in the Health Justice Policy Practicum, please complete this interest form.