Agenda

September 24-25, 2009

Friday, September 25, 2009

7:30 am                            Registration and continental breakfast

8:30 am - 10:00 am           Plenary II: The Challenges of Crafting an 
                                        Educational Curriculum in Interdisciplinary
                                        Settings

This plenary session examines planning and developing the course curriculum across a range of different educational models, including classroom and seminar courses, in-house clinics, externship programs, and associated classroom components.  Speakers address cross-cultural learning in experiential settings and through reading interdisciplinary literature.  Topics include trying to find the right curricular blend of (1) substantive law, (2) skill development, and (3) ethics/professionalism training.  Additional topics include defining the goals and curricular offerings depending on different program models and handling logistics on an interdisciplinary basis, such as assignments, scheduling, and grading and evaluation of students.

Moderator: Lisa R. Bliss, JD, Co-Associate Director, HeLP Legal Services Clinic, Assistant Clinical Professor, Georgia State University College of Law

Speakers:

• Paula Galowitz, JD, MSW, Clinical Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
• Diane Hoffman, JD, MS, Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Director, Law and Health Care Program, University of Maryland School of Law
• Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, JD, Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, University of New Mexico School of Law
• Liz Tobin Tyler, Esq., Director of Public Service and Community Partnerships, Lecturer in Public Interest Law, Feinstein Institute for Legal Service, Roger Williams University School of Law
• Patricia Flanagan, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Brown University/Alpert Medical School, Chief of Clinical Affairs, Hasbro Children's Hospital

Additional Session Materials:  

10:00 am                          BREAK

10:15 am - 11:45 am         Small Group Discussion

11:45 am                          LUNCH

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm           Plenary III: Doing the Right Thing: Perspectives
                                        on Ethics and Professionalism from the 
                                        Multidisciplinary Team

Through the use of scenarios, this plenary session raises a variety of common ethics and professionalism concerns for law students and other graduate students in an interdisciplinary environment.  The session explores how to help students learn to resolve the sometimes differing ethical obligations of the different professions.  Speakers discuss how to address conflicts among different professional interests on the multidisciplinary team and different perspectives represented by institutional and individual providers, family members, and the clients themselves.

Moderator: Sylvia B. Caley, JD, MBA, RN, Co-Associate Director, HeLP Legal Services Clinic, Assistant Clinical Professor, Georgia State University College of Law

• Kate Mewhinney, JD, Clinical Professor, Wake Forest University School of Law, Managing Attorney, The Elder Law Clinic
• Charles P. Sabatino, JD, Director, ABA Commission on Law and Aging
• Lyn K. Slater, LMSW, PhD, Clinical Professor, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, Co-Director, Interdisciplinary Center for Family and Child Advocacy, Fordham University School of Law
• Paul R. Tremblay, JD, Clinical Professor of Law and Law Fund Scholar, Boston College Law School, Director, Community Enterprise Clinic, Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau

1. Advocacy and Policy Change

Speakers examine how to incorporate advocacy and policy change into the interdisciplinary educational program.  Topics include choosing issues for a legislative or rule-making change, lobbying restrictions, and examples of different program models.

Moderators: 

Sylvia B. Caley, JD, MBA, RN, Co-Associate Director, HeLP Legal Services Clinic, Assistant Clinical Professor, Georgia State University College of Law
James L. Wolk, DSW, MPA, Professor, School of Social Work, Georgia State University

Speakers:

• William R. Sexson, MD, FAAP, Neonatologist, Vice Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Emory University School of Medicine
• Robert L. Schwartz, JD, Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law
• Deborah Weimer, JD, Professor of Law, Director of AIDS Legal Clinic, University of Maryland School of Law
• Anita Weinberg, JD, MSSW, Clinical Professor and Director, ChildLaw Policy Institute, Civitas ChildLaw Center, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

2. Research and Scholarship

Speakers explore different kinds of research and scholarship undertaken at interdisciplinary programs.  Topics include research on evaluating the effectiveness of interdisciplinary education, challenges and opportunities offered by undertaking interdisciplinary scholarship, and empirical research on how interdisciplinary services impact clients' health or the socio-economic determinants of their health, as well as potential cost-savings to providers.

Moderators:

• Michael P. Eriksen, ScD, Professor and Director, Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University
• Charity Scott, JD, Professor and Director, Center for Law, Health & Society, Georgia State University College of Law

Speakers: 

• Leah A. Hill, JD, Clinical Associate Professor, Fordham Law School, Co-Director, Interdisciplinary Center for Family and Child Advocacy
• Vivian M. Reznik, MD, MPH, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Professor of Pediatrics and Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California-San Diego School of Medicine
• Lyn K. Slater, LMSW, PhD, Clinical Professor, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, Co-Director, Interdisciplinary Center for Family and Child Advocacy, Fordham University School of Law
• Debra Wolf, JD, Senior Attorney, LegalHealth, New York Legal Assistance Group

 

Additional Materials:

• Lyn Slater Session Handout.pdf

3. Education and Training of Partnering Health Professionals

Speakers explore best practices for using law students and faculty to teach about legal issues of concern to partnering health professionals.  The session explores different kinds of training programs and educational models, and showcases innovations in education about the law to health professionals.

Moderators:

• Lisa R. Bliss, JD, Co-Associate Director, HeLP Legal Services Clinic, Assistant Clinical Professor, Georgia State University College of Law
• Peter Lindsay, PhD, Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, Associate Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, Georgia State University

Speakers:

• Marie Cameron, FACHE, Executive-in-Residence, Institute of Health Administration, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University
• Suzette M. Meléndez, JD, Assistant Professor of Law, Director, Children's Rights and Family Law Clinic, Syracuse University College of Law
• Diane Pappas, MD, JD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Director of Child Advocacy, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
• Pamela Tames, Esq., Director of Training, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership

4:30 - 5:00 pm                Plenary V: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Speakers, moderators, facilitators, and attendees will have the opportunity to report and reflect on ideas and information developed during the conference and to suggest ways to implement a network for continuing the conversations.  Next steps may include methods for collecting resources and developing data and idea banks.

5:00 pm                          Adjourn