Alternative career choices for health lawyers

1. YOU Alternative career choices for health lawyers Presented by Macey Leigh Thompson February 1, 2011

2. Macey’s Background • 3rd year law student at IU Maurer School of Law • BA in Philosophy, working towards MA in Bioethics & (hopeful PhD Candidate) • Long standing interest in medicine, medical history, humanities, and education • 10 year experience in the health and fitness world • Entrepreneurial mindset & “outside the box” thinker • Determined to create the life that works for me WWW.MACEYLEIGH.NET

3. Some Reasons Law Students Begin To Consider Non-Traditional Career Paths • The current legal economy is tough! Jobs are hard to come by. • You have had (or have) a work experience that you just aren’t suited for. • You have other interests and would like to blend them with practicing law. • Other areas of industry, like healthcare, prosper. • The adversarial nature of law is not appealing. • Law itself is too boring, or not dynamic enough for your personality.

4. The 1st Step: A Self-Analysis • What do I enjoy doing? What things am I passionate about? Look outside the legal “box.” • What causes or groups do I enjoy being involved with? Is there something I enjoy advocating for? • Am I the type of person who can focus my attention on multiple interests at one time? • Do I have previous training or substantial experience in a non-legal field? • Think back to your childhood…what were the things you aspired to be or do when you ‘grew up’?

5. Some Industry Areas with a Healthcare Branch • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) • Public and Community Services • Mass Media & Communication • Research (Domestic and International) • Policy and Legislative Efforts • Ethics and Professional Responsibility (Bioethics) • Family and Child Services • Intellectual Property

6. Alternative Dispute Resolution • ADR includes negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. • Overflowing court dockets, high $$$, and significant time delays with traditional litigation make ADR an increasingly popular option.

7. Interested? What’s next… • Look for ADR Firms with healthcare niches • Take Negotiations, Mediation, and related clinics while in law school • Shadow an ADR professional • Even if you aren’t interested in pursuing ADR full time, it could prove to be a valuable asset to your entire professional portfolio Judge Susan L. Macey IU Law Alumni ‘80 Arbiter with Judicial Arbiter Group

8. Public and Community Services • There are MANY opportunities for lawyers – all these organizations must comply with statutory regulations! • As Healthcare gains political priority, there will be a greater need for lawyers to work on compliance issues. • A commitment to public service is imperative. • Increased opportunities for lobbying and legislative work. NKF and Donate Life America are two large non-profit groups that have lawyers on staff.

9. Interested? What next… • While in law school, reach out! • Volunteering leads to Networking. • If the place you are interested in is not currently hiring, see if you can work for school credit - It MAY BE your best shot at a future job. • Most importantly, you need to demonstrate a passion for Whom and What you want to serve.

10. Mass Media & Communications • Healthcare is a HUGE topic always covered by the media in every area of mass communications. • Television • Radio • Film • Print • World Wide Web • Mobile Devices/Applications • Public Speaking/Public Relations BEING A LAWYER SIMPLY BOOSTS YOUR CREDIBILITY. USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

11. Healthcare is a HOT Topic • Much of our media programming is focused on healthcare: • Cable networks (Discovery Health/OWN) • Daytime television (Dr. Oz, The Doctors) • News Broadcasting

12. Popular culture is fascinated by Health. Credibility and Personality can gain you a spot. Star Jones is seen on The View and other talk shows, but she’s a JD too! Cynthia McFadden, JD Co-Host Nightline Jerry Springer has his JD too!

13. Medical Research • Think of research from both a Domestic & International context • America is a leader in funding international medical research • Federal Regulations and Guidelines for Research on Human Subjects (Department of Human Health Services) • There is a legal framework for ALL research studies and trials

14. Interested? What to do next… • Contact a department of interest • PI’s will LOVE your offer to review compliance with statutory guidelines • READ—keep yourself up to date on what new in the world of clinical research - You will impress potential employers • Attend an IRB meeting

15. Health Policy What is Health Policy? As a core discipline within the field of public health, health policy and management focuses on the creation of new knowledge and the application of research findings to improve the effectiveness of public health and health service organizations within and across the public, private, and non-profit sectors both domestically and internationally.  Health Policy professionals take on new roles as scientific and policy leaders and administrators in academic, governmental, non-governmental, and industry settings.

16. Interested? President Obama earned his JD at Harvard!

17. Bioethics • Bioethics = Ethical inquiry into all living things. It combines philosophy, religion, medicine, and law. • Bioethics has been prevalent throughout all of Western Civilization. Does the Hippocratic Oath come to mind? MULTIDISCIPLINARY

18. Bioethics Issues • The list is HUGE, and growing… with many tied closely with legal issues. • 4 Basic Principles of Bioethics: • Respect for Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficenece, & Justice

19. More issues in Bioethics • What should insurance companies pay for? • Treatment v. Enhancement Distinction • Allocation of life-saving therapy • Patient access to experimental drugs • Informed Consent & Patient Autonomy • Supposed “right to lie” from altruistic motives

20. Interested in Bioethics? • Seriously consider further education: • Certificates • Masters programs • Doctoral Programs • Medical Humanities and Health Studies program • IU Poynter Center The Center is recognized throughout the state and around the globe as a primary source for bioethics research and new information. Research addresses ethical, legal, and social issues in healthcare and science with an emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches. Topics range from genetics to organ transplantation, medical research to health privacy, informed consent to pandemic flu preparedness.

21. Family and Child Services: Reproductive Law • Emerging area of health law related to new reproductive technologies • Embryos are shaping new law in adoption, divorce, surrogacy, & post-humous parenting. • Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis • IVF • Children’s health services, community health programs, child advocacy

22. Intellectual Property: Biomedical Advances • Regenerative Medicine • Cloning • Gene Therapy • Eugenics • Manipulation of human germ lines

23. The Time To Act Is Now! There has never been a better time to walk down your own purposeful path. Find YOUR way by using every gift and skill you have. Start making the world work for you!

24. Questions and Comments Thank you for your time! maceyleigh@maceyleigh.net www.maceyleigh.net More resources and my CV can be found online.