Academic Programs

Generally, a medical-legal partnership (MLP) pairs healthcare providers with legal practitioners to diagnose and address unmet legal needs that negatively affect the health outcomes of individuals. These programs seek to address problems such as access and affordability, more broadly described as social determinants of health. Examples of social determinants of health include housing, nutrition, health insurance, etc. MLPs are designed to address the social determinants of health and improve health outcomes for low-income individuals.

Yes, 1Ls who perform well academically can participate in the MLP Clinic on a volunteer or externship basis. Because 1Ls will not be eligible for student practice certification in any jurisdiction served by the MLP, first-year students’ ability to participate is limited to observation, research, intake, and shadowing.

ASL’s MLP sets itself apart by serving low-income patients in multiple jurisdictions. We partner with attorneys in Virginia and Tennessee to provide services across our region.

ASL’s MLP is also producing data-driven results by partnering with a data analytics team through VT’s Pamplin College of Business. By assessing metrics from the healthcare and legal providers, our data analytics partner will facilitate the understanding of how best to address the social determinants of health.

Students are required to be in good academic standing and must have taken or be currently enrolled in the Poverty, Health, and Law course.

There are multiple ways law students can participate with the MLP Clinic. Students may volunteer in the Clinic or may participate for course credit either as an extern or practicum clinical student. Students who have successfully completed half of their legal studies can apply for limited practice certification in Tennessee. Following 2L year, students may be eligible for the same in Virginia. For those students who are qualified for student practice and who have already completed the volunteer and credit aspects of Clinic participation may apply for a Senior Internship position. Senior Internship positions may be paid.

This program will require students to travel to healthcare facilities to complete patient intake and to the appropriate courthouses for any in-person hearings when necessary. However, most of the MLP work can be done remotely. The MLP Suite is located on ASL’s campus in the Booth Center.

Students can participate in the program as an extern or for upper-level practicum credit. These roles allow students to gain course credit for graduation while participating with attorneys and clients and in real cases.

Yes, the program runs year-round. Qualifying students are encouraged to apply to participate in the MLP Clinic during the summer.

Yes, students who are in good academic standing may apply for an Externship position with the Clinic. For more specific details, reach out to Lucy McGee, Dean of Experiential Learning.

This program offers a wide range of professional development opportunities. First, Clinical participation offers students the ability to work with clients. This client interaction develops the groundwork necessary for establishing and maintaining attorney-client relationships. The ability to work with actual cases and clients helps students develop practical skills needed to provide the best service to the client.

Further, this program allows students to gain valuable experience working with fellow students, professors, and attorneys in Tennessee and Virginia. This allows students to apply theoretical knowledge from the classroom to everyday practice. No attorney approaches a problem or case the same way another attorney might. Having a team of attorneys offering different strategies to help law students figure out how they want to handle situations that come up in practice can facilitate student understanding of how they will approach their professional career with clients and co-workers. In short, participation in the MLP Clinic offers students hands-on experience that can build your skills and resumes.

Finally, the opportunity for students to network with healthcare and legal providers should not be underestimated. The interdisciplinary nature of the MLP Clinic can offer students exposure to career options and training that students would be unlikely to access without this clinical experience.

Through follow-up conversations, it is clear we have been able to help families during their time of need. For example, we assisted a client that needed a power of attorney and will after a recent cancer diagnosis. Once those documents were finalized, they returned and asked for additional assistance applying for social security disability. Having the patient return to ask additional questions, really showed me that they appreciated our assistance.

The pro bono lawyers we have on this team are amazing and willing to help you grow as a lawyer however possible. There are numerous occasions where they have spent additional time with me and other students to ensure we understood why we were doing what we were doing and any other concerns we had. Further, being able to work aside these lawyers, you get first-hand knowledge on how they handle certain issues and different aspects of cases.

The MLP has broadened my career prospects. Prior to participation, I was solely pursuing environmental law, but through the program I have learned that there are so many ways to help people, and this is an amazing way to do so. The MLP allows you to help others in different facets and in different legal fields, always providing a challenge, but also offering a great reward knowing you helped someone in dire need of assistance.

I would love to see more law students involved and taking advantage of this amazing opportunity.

The data analytics should show the needs commonly seen in Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee that may be addressed in different platforms to better provide support for these communities. For more information on data analytics, I recommend speaking with Executive Director, Suzan Moore.

Yes, being part of this program has expanded my knowledge in a wide range of fields, including issues associated with health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Power of Attorney, and Conservatorships. The program has also helped correlate some legal concerns that are exacerbated by health concerns.