Course Description
Public health law touches the lives and livelihoods of every person. Understanding the intent, basic structure, and methods for employing the local, state, and federal laws governing public health activities will facilitate legal practice in a variety of disciplines, including: municipal, healthcare, environmental, and judicial practice. This is a survey course, intended to introduce students to the most commonly encountered national and world public health law issues. Specific topics include: an overview of the epidemiologic principles underlying public health law; police powers; balancing public and private interests at stake; privacy and confidentiality of public health information, emergency preparedness; search, inspection, embargo and condemnation of private property; abatement of nuisances and dangerous conditions; and the major federal statutes affecting public health. In addition, material concerning world public health issues will be presented to help students understand the community health benefit from comprehensive public health legislation. Finally, ongoing local public health law interventions will be analyzed using the basic principles introduced early in the course.