Public Health Law

Graduate / Professional

This course provides an introduction to the multiple ways the law acts as a structural and social determinant of health and health inequity, as well as ways the law can be used as a tool to promote health in individuals and health justice among populations. It is designed specifically for students with no legal training. The course first provides background on the powers and duties of federal, state, and local governments to equitably promote and protect community health, as well as structural constraints on those powers, such as protection of individuals’ constitutional rights. Then, using case examples, it focuses on law as a tool to promote population health, including through direct and indirect regulation to alter the information and built environments, through measures to control communicable disease and reduce chronic disease and injury, and through the use of governments’ “power of the purse” to fund public health programs and services and influence individual and corporate behavior. Throughout the term, the course examines the role of courts in interpreting law and resolving disputes among branches and levels of government as well as among individuals, businesses, and government. Students gain basic proficiency in finding and interpreting primary legal sources, applying the law to public health problems, and identifying ways to most effectively influence the legislative, administrative, and judicial lawmaking processes. The course requires active student engagement that often includes working in small groups. Prerequisite: HPM 514 (or current enrollment in HPM 514 ), or permission of the instructor. Not open to auditors. F 10am-11:20am, Th 1pm-2:50pm