Medical-Legal Partnerships on the Rise
Medical-legal partnerships seek to “improve the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals, children and families by integrating legal assistance into the medical setting,” according to the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. These innovative programs have been around since the early 1990’s and are on the rise. Recently, the New York Times featured a story on a successful partnership in Cinncinnati and the Los Angeles Times ran a story on a clinic in South LA. These programs can be crucial for connecting low-income individuals with the legal help needed to fix dangerous and unhealthy housing issues, connect special needs students with the legally required programs at their schools, and other problems that may not get resolved without legal assistance.
If you want to learn more about medical-legal partnerships, the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership has an extensive website, including information on how to start a partnership, and the opportunities for post-graduate legal fellowships in partnerships across the country.