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Health Law

We are committed to developing healthcare industry leaders with strong expertise necessary to deliver legal certainty in a changing world.

Applied Learning Opportunities

Externship Program

The Externship Program immerses Willamette University College of Law students in the fast-paced work of the practicing lawyer.

Featured Externship Placements

View a list of current and past advocacy externships Willamette Law students have participated in as part of their applied learning.

Health Law Certificate

Learn about the relationship between the law and the needs of providers and patients.

Nearly every aspect of our lives involves health law, and at Willamette, students interested in pursuing health law have a unique opportunity to learn from the best. The health law faculty is composed of experts with decades of experience actively contributing to scholarship and working in this rapidly evolving field. The scholars teach both public and private aspects of health law. They are currently helping develop the University's Public Health Ethics Advocacy and Leadership undergraduate major, as well as a new health law certificate program. Our unique proximity to Salem Health alongside Oregon Health Sciences University also offers robust and collaborative student learning opportunities.

This rapidly changing field has called on the College to offer a nimble and progressive curriculum. To that end, we recently developed a new course on the legal implications of COVID-19. The broader College of Law curriculum provides opportunities for students to build their foundational knowledge in regulatory law, administrative law, medical malpractice, and constitutional law--legal areas that have a significant impact on health law.

Health Law Focus areas:

  • Health Care Law
  • Public Health Law
  • Disability Law

About this program

Learn more about health law at Willamette.

Featured Alumni

Law – JD/MBA

James Balkins II JD/MBA’79

  • Spent 25 years as a lawyer and business executive at Boise Cascade
  • Became chief strategic officer, general counsel, CFO then board chair at Healthwise, a provider of content and patient education
Law – JD

Teresa Miller JD’02

  • Named Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services in 2018
  • Oversees an agency of more than 16,000 employees
  • Served as a liaison for President Barack Obama’s administration at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in D.C.
Law – JD

John Mizuno JD’90

  • Hawaii State Representative
  • Selected for a subcommittee of The Council of State Governments National Healthy States Task Force
  • Will serve on the Capacity, Preparedness and Resiliency Subcommittee