"The public recognizes its stake in these issues," observed Michelle Mello, a lawyer and assistant professor of health policy and law, Department of Health Policy and Management. "People are wondering about appropriate government responses and their own rights in the midst of those responses."

To educate law students early in their careers on such issues, Harvard Law School (HLS) and HSPH have announced a new joint JD/MPH degree program. Students accepted to HLS may simultaneously pursue an MPH, completing both degrees in three years. Previously, students interested in health law typically undertook their MPH degree after finishing their JD.

"Fourteen percent of the economy in the United States is spent on health and health care," said HSPH Dean Barry Bloom. "Many of the regulators are lawyers. A motivation behind this program is to help train and educate lawyers who may become involved in the public health arena."

"This is a terrific opportunity for students who are especially interested in this field to develop the tools they will need to make a real contribution to formulating public policy," said Todd Rakoff, Vice-Dean for Academic Programming and Byrne Professor of Administrative Law at HLS. "The degree is truly meant to be joint in nature–to get students thinking about the intersection between legal frameworks and various public health, statistical and medical frameworks."

Initially, three to five students are expected to be admitted yearly. The first round of applications will be accepted this fall.

To reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the degree, the program will include the "Capstone Course," an integrated seminar that covers new developments in health law, public health research methods as applied to legal issues, and careers in law and public health. Students in the new program will take this course in their third year of study. In the spring semester of their final year, they will also do a public health practicum in a practice setting of their choice, whether it be the U.S. Office of the Attorney General, a hospital general counsel’s office, a private biotech corporation or a legal aid organization.

Mello worked with Troyen Brennan, professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, on the HSPH side to develop the program. Brennan holds degrees in public health and law.

Said Mello: "You can complete these degrees separately and get the same credentials. What’s different from our perspective is that targeting lawyers at a younger stage of training will alert them to career opportunities that they might not have recognized. People who go through this program will be more likely to work for a non-governmental organization or the government, getting involved in policy issues."

Added Catherine Claypoole, Special Assistant to the Dean, HLS: "Students will need to have a focused interest in public health and related issues before they come into this program. With this foundation, they will build an interdisciplinary body of knowledge throughout their time at Harvard."

Harvard alumna Liz Powell-Bullock is demonstrating the usefulness of having degrees in both public health and in law. She earned a degree from HLS in 2002 and HSPH in 2003 before the joint program was available. She is now a health law attorney at a firm in Washington, D.C., and she believes there will be an advantage to students in integrating their studies from the get-go.

"Health law has been around for a while," she said, "but it is not usually identified as health law for students. People discovered it in the professional world, but it wasn’t separated out the way corporate law or constitutional law courses are. Early on is the perfect time to combine the two."

For more information about the program, contact Mello at mmello@hsph.harvard.edu or Claypoole at claypool@law.harvard.edu.