The Student Health Law Association (SHLA) is a student-run organization for law students interested in health-related legal disciplines. It has been awarded “Organization of the Year” by the Student Bar Association in the past for coordinating numerous student-centered activities, such as:
SHLA co-sponsors activities with the Center for Law, Health & Society to foster formal and informal exchanges among its members and with faculty, alumni, and professional organizations in the health care field.
Please explore our Web site to learn more about our organization and its many activities. Georgia State College of Law students are welcome to join our OrgSync group which is the source of all student updates. SHLA members receive emails through this group, which include updates on getting involved, career opportunities, and staying informed about upcoming SHLA events.
SHLA members are entitled to a variety of benefits, including:
Members are invited to participate in a variety of activities, ranging from the predominantly professional to the purely social in nature. These activities will include: gatherings with current students and graduates to learn about career or educational opportunities in the health law field; presentations on timely topics of current interest in health care law, policy, and ethics; and other interesting activities relating to health law. Just a few examples of past speaker programs include:
2012 - 2013 SHLA Officers:
President: Gregory Fosheim (2L)
Greg Fosheim earned a B.A. in Biology from Luther College, and an M.P.H. in Epidemiology from Emory University. Prior to law school, he was a microbiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, specializing in healthcare-associated infections. While at GSU, Mr. Fosheim has served as the SHLA Secretary and interned with the American Cancer Society. His health law interests include medical malpractice, products liability, and regulatory compliance.
Vice President of Operations: Kara Gordon (2L)
Kara Gordon earned a B.A. in History and Spanish from the University of Michigan. Prior to law school, she worked in various state criminal law agencies, but discovered her passion for health law at Georgia State. This past summer, Ms. Gordon worked at the Georgia Department of Community Health in the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division. She is interested in healthcare regulation and medical malpractice.
Vice President of Communications: Sarah Ketchie (3L)
Sarah Ketchie graduated from the University of Georgia in 2010 with a B.S. in Biology, where she had the opportunity to work in a laboratory for four years at UGA's Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. During her first summer at GSU College of Law, Ms. Ketchie interned at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Technology Transfer Office.
Treasurer: Ashley Worrell (2L)
Ashley Worrell, an Atlanta native, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011 with a B.A. in Public Relations and a minor in Spanish before joining the class of 2014 at the GSU College of Law. During her first summer at the College of Law, Ms. Worrell interned with the healthcare practice group at Arnall, Golden & Gregory and for the Honorable Timothy C. Batten, Sr. in the Northern District of Georgia. Her health law interests center on the business of the healthcare industry.
Student Advisor: Evelyn Clark (3L)
Evelyn Clark is a 3L who chose GSU College of Law specifically for its health law program. As a Public Health major at Johns Hopkins University, and after her work in the United States Congress and as the grassroots advocacy program coordinator for the American Academy of Opthalmology, she decided to study health policy - and needed to know more about the law first. She has since worked for the Medical Association of Georgia and the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, which have coupled nicely with the vast health law courses Georgia State has to offer.
Event Coordinators: Leslie Salley (2L), Sammy Shapiro (2L), and Donny Snyder (2L)
Leslie Salley graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011 with a B.A. in Psychology and an A.B. in Criminal Justice, where she worked with the University Health Center to promote education of health issues on campus. Ms. Salley is working with the Health Law Partnership's Legal Services Clinic here at Georgia State University for the fall semester. She is interested in healthcare regulation.
Sammy Shapiro graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011 with a B.A. in Economics. He came straight to law school and is currently a 2L. This summer Mr. Shapiro interned with Grady Memorial Hospital's legal team as well as with Legal Services at the Georgia Department of Health and Developmental Disabilities. His interest in health law is business-oriented, focusing on helping hospitals acquire private physician practices without violating stark law or the anti-kickback statute. He hopes to begin a Masters in Finance program in spring 2013.
Donny Snyder is a 2L at GSU College of Law. For his undergraduate degree he attended the University of Georgia, where he majored in Political Science. Mr. Snyder plans to direct his interests in health law at a non-profit organization.
Community Liaisons: Brittanie Browning (2L) and Christine Lee (2L)
Brittanie Browning received her B.A. in Film from Georgia State University. Following college, she worked abroad as an English teacher in South Korea. She became interested in health law while studying the Korean healthcare system. Her experiences piqued an interest in learning how the law can aid those that are in need of medical services.
Christine Lee, an Emory alumna, received her B.A. in English-Creative Writing. Since then, she has continued to develop her passion from writing in the context of GSU College of Law. As a member of the Class of 2014, Ms. Lee is not only involved with SHLA and furthering its goals, but she also serves as a graduate research assistant and member of GSU Law's moot court board. She worked as a law clerk for a boutique immigration law firm in Atlanta prior to law school, and continued her employment there during her 1L summer. Looking forward, she hopes to pursue a legal career focused on healthcare and tort law.
Student Outreach Coordinator: Kyle Gregory (2L)
Kyle Gregory earned a B.A. in History from Georgia State University. This summer he interned with Grady Health System and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. His health law interests include the public health sector as well as healthcare regulation and policy.
Part-time Student Liaison: Kay Hill (2L, part-time)
Kay Hill received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Kennesaw State University. Having worked in adult and geriatric healthcare for a number of years, she settled into pediatrics at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite where she continues to work part-time as a Registered Nurse. After working as a legal nurse consultant, reviewing medical records for attorneys, she chose to attend Georgia State University College of Law specifically because of its strong reputation for its part-time program and health law curriculum.
Information regarding elections for next year's officers will be released to all SHLA members during the spring semester.
All current Georgia State College of Law students are welcome to join SHLA! Please join our OrgSync group to learn more about our upcoming events. Dues are only $20 and cover our expenses for events hosted throughout the school year. Members must pay dues to enroll in our mentor-mentee program, participate in the SHLA-sponsored competitions, attend SHLA-sponsored conferences, and receive a SHLA t-shirt.
If you have any questions about membership, contact Greg Fosheim.
