Duration: Full year clinic
Credits: 8 credits (4 per semester/letter grade)

Students will represent low-income, chronic users of the healthcare system in a diverse range of legal matters aimed at stabilizing patients' lives and thus improving overall healthcare access and outcomes. Students will represent the chronically ill, individuals with disabilities and their family members in both litigation and administrative matters such as guardianship cases in Suffolk Probate Court and appeals of denials of disability benefits before the Social Security Administration. In addition, students may assist clients with other benefits-related issues such as denials of healthcare coverage. The Clinic will prioritize representing poor and underserved clients, and particular emphasis will be given to exploring issues of disability, class, race, and gender in student cases. Through direct client representation, students will have an opportunity to develop lawyering skills, such as client interviewing and counseling, negotiating, drafting pleadings, motions and memoranda, and arguing on behalf of clients in Court and administrative proceedings. In addition to intensive client contact, students will have the opportunity to interact with healthcare providers, government officials and advocates in the non-profit sector. Students will also gain substantive legal knowledge in the relevant areas of health-law and may have the opportunity to engage in health-law research and/or policy projects.

Students enrolled in the Clinic are required to attend a weekly two-hour seminar covering the relevant substantive areas of health-law, lawyering skills, and ethical issues that arise in practice.Students are also required to attend weekly supervision meetings with Professor Boonin and to write weekly journal entries critically reflecting on their experiences in the Clinic and seminar.Students are required to spend at least 12 hours per week engaged in Clinic work beyond the time required for the seminar, journal entries and supervision.Students should arrange to keep Tuesday and/or Thursday mornings free (Court days), and should be prepared to attend a full-day training session held the week before classes begin.

Questions: Contact Professor Sarah Boonin at sboonin@suffolk.edu