Jerri Nims Rooker

Jerri Nims Rooker is the Associate Director of the Center for Law, Health & Society. The Center advances the key role that law plays in improving society's health by educating future leaders in the legal and health professions to meet the many health challenges that face society in the 21st century. The health law program at Georgia State Law has been ranked 10th in the country by U.S. News & World Report in their “ America 's Best Graduate Schools 2008” edition. Jerri is responsible for managing the Center's community programs development and other programmatic activities including educational programs, research projects, communication and outreach, and coordination of special projects.

Jerri was in private corporate law practice in Atlanta before joining the Center. She also has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, focusing on the health and education of women, youth, and children in both domestic and international communities. Through employment as well as volunteer service on not-for-profit boards, she has been involved in organizational start-up, constituent building, fundraising, public relations, educational program development and teaching, and resource development and distribution.

Upon graduating from law school, Jerri was chosen by Georgia State Law to receive the National Association of Women Lawyer's "Outstanding Graduate Award" for academic excellence, tenacity, and significant efforts for women's issues. She continues to serve the College as an officer for its Graduate Leadership Council.

Jerri has researched and written on a variety of health law issues, including patient protections legislation, the ethics of stem cell research, and medical ethics education. She frequently lectures to legal, healthcare, and community groups on health law topics involving the relationship between law, ethics, and health care. She served as part of a roundtable convened by Steve (“Thunder”) Tumlin, Jr., Representative, District 38 to consider and propose revisions to Georgia 's advance directives forms and legislation. The proposed revised statute and advance directive form were introduced during the 2007 legislative session, passed by both the House and Senate, and signed into legislation by Governor Sonny Perdue, effective as of July 1, 2007. In Fall 2007, Jerri provided testimony for the Georgia Senate Study Committee on Reproductive and Genetic Technology regarding the legal and ethical issues involved in embryo creation, use, and disposition.

Jerri earned her J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law where she served as a member of the Moot Court Honor Society Board and was a Graduate Research Assistant for both the law and business schools. She received her B.A. in English Literature, with a secondary concentration in Religion, from Bates College.