As a groundbreaking, medical-legal partnership with UM's Miller School of Medicine, the Health Rights Clinic explores innovative and collaborative ways to educate future lawyers and physicians to deliver quality care to underserved populations.
Students in the Health Rights Clinic assist low-income, health-impaired clients under the supervision of a professor and supervising attorneys who are also clinical instructors. Clients are referred by health care providers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and other community-based organizations and students work with health professionals to provide holistic care to patients and clients.
By integrating legal services as a vital component of healthcare, students in the Health Rights clinic provide holistic legal services to clients, free of charge. Students also:
In this clinic, students gain exposure to three types of law practice:
In the Health Rights Clinic, students not only work at the law school, they also interview potential clients at the following partner location sites:
Click here to view clinic requirements
Click here to read our latest newsletter, The Clinician
Director:
Professor JoNel Newman
305-284-4125
jnewman@law.miami.edu
Supervising Attorneys:
Melissa Swain
Associate Director
305-284-1539
mswain@law.miami.edu
Suzanne Villano
Clinical Teaching Fellow and Supervising Attorney
305-284-2788
svillano@law.miami.edu
Clinic Staff:
Vanessa Alpizar
Paralegal
305-284-3361
valpizar@law.miami.edu
Mary Cruz
Legal Assistant
305-284-1685
mcruz1@law.miami.edu
Health Rights Clinic
University of Miami School of Law
1311 Miller Dr., Room F303
Coral Gables, FL 33146
Main Number: 305-284-3951
Clinics Number: 305-284-5291
Fax: 305-284-6407
Listen to law and medical students speak about their meaningful experiences in the Health Rights Clinic Medical Legal Partnership.
ETL features the Health Rights Clinic in this video on its homepage.
Julie Morgan, Class of 2013, talks about the value of interacting with clients. Watch video
Why did Kayla Leland, J.D. '12, value this clinic? "I got to do what I came to law school to do – be an attorney." Watch video
David Berk, J.D. '12, discusses the benefits of the clinic and how he worked with clients from start to finish. Watch video
Ashley Dewelde, J.D. '12, not only participated as an intern but decided to come back to be a fellow in the Health Rights Clinic. Watch video
Kathryn Desire, JD '11: "...instead of just reading about something in book, you're actually getting to apply your knowledge. Watch video

Summer 2012 Clinic Interns Full-Size Photo

Students meet with a client prior to winning a hearing regarding her disability benefits with the Social Security Administration. Read more about how our clinic has won over $150,000 in Social Security back payments for disabled clients.

Intern Alexandra Plasencia at a "Know Your Rights" Presentation at a Hialeah, FL Community Center.
Helping Haitians apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Click here to view photos on Flickr

Clinic Joins Miller School of Medicine in National Partnership
Our student, Joel H. Feigenbaum, published the article "Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Trenches: A Student's Perspective on the Role of Clinical Education in Training" in the Florida Bar Family Law Section Commentator. Read article on page 36
Miami Law Joins Project to Lower Barriers to Justice
New Pathway in Health Law Further Personalizes Medical Education
University of Miami's Health and Elder Law Clinic wins praise in The National Jurist
UM Law Alternative Sprint Break Blog — Haitian TPS
School of Law students help Haitian immigrants apply for temporary protected status in eVeritas
CLEA Award for Excellence in a Public Interest Case or Project, 2010, Fred Hawkins and Matt Eandi
Patricia Elizee, JD '10, and Larisa Hernandez, JD '09 participated in the Health Rights Clinic and have opened their own firm specializing in areas of the law they practiced while in our clinic. www.elizeehernandez.com