Summer Associate Program: HEAL (Health Education Advocacy and Law)
Position Description:
The HEAL Summer Associate will take part in the Health Education Advocacy and Law project. The HEAL Summer Associate can expect to be engaged in the following activities:
- Under supervision, maintain a small caseload of client cases, with patients referred to HEAL through our medical-legal partnership with Akron Children’s Hospital, Summa Women’s Health Center, and other community partners
- Conduct factual investigations including interviewing client; requesting and reviewing medical, school, and other records; searching public records, etc.
- Attend education and housing hearings, community meetings, and outreach events
- Conduct legal and policy research
- Develop education self-help materials for parents and non-legal advocates to use in special education settings
- Draft pleadings / research memoranda / policy papers / correspondence
- Such other tasks as may be assigned
Specific Qualifications:
This internship is best suited for a JD or JD/MPH student who is interested in health law, health policy, and/or education law.
Other helpful qualifications include:
- Having taken a health law course; having an understanding of the health care system
- Having taken and education or school law course
- Demonstrated interest in and sensitivity to the legal needs of the poor as well as motivation to improve the condition of the poor
- Interest and experience in health law and/or policy issues
- Interest and experience in education law and/or policy issues
- Strong research/writing skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Word and Internet research tools
- Ability to speak a foreign language is highly desirable
Personal characteristics include:
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- First-rate oral and written communications skills
- Professional attitude, discretion, diplomacy and tact
- Ability to relate to professionals
- Strong analytical and organizational skills
- High dependability
