J.D. Program: Health Law Concentration

J.D. Program: Health Law Concentration

Seton Hall Law School has specialized in health law for more than two decades. U.S.News & World Report has consistently ranked the Seton Hall health law program among the leading programs in the country. The health law faculty specialize in a wide range of topics, influencing health care policy throughout the United States and the world.

Seton Hall Law offers a Concentration in Health Law that provides J.D. students with a strong foundation in traditional health law or life sciences law. Students have increasingly integrated the Concentration with intellectual property courses too. Students pursuing the Concentration may list it on their resumes.  Upon graduation, the Concentration will be reflected on graduates' transcripts and they will receive certificates indicating receipt of the Concentration in Health Law.

All students interested in the Health Law Concentration should submit a Concentration Declaration Form. This form must be submitted by the end of the first week of classes in the student's final semester.

Note: Students may not apply courses taken Pass/D or Fail toward the Concentration credit requirement.

Concentration Planning and Advice

Students seeking curricular advisement should contact Professor Jacob Elberg.

1. Successful Completion of the following Courses:

A.  Administrative Law

B.  Any two  "core" health law courses:
These four (4) courses generally are each offered once per year, either in the Day program or Weekend program. Day and Weekend students are permitted to take these courses regardless of when they are offered.

These four (4) courses generally are each offered once per year, either in the Day program or Weekend program. Day and Weekend students are permitted to take these courses regardless of when they are offered.

C.  Additional health law courses if needed to bring the total concentration credits (including Administrative Law) to 13. Students should consult with Prof. Elberg if they have questions about whether a course will count as a health law course for the purposes of the 13-credit requirement. 

View Complete Course Information in the University Catalogue →
The Seton Hall University Catalogue is the definitive source for up-to-date course offerings and degree requirements.

2.  Advanced Writing Requirement (AWR)

Completion of a paper that satisfies the Advanced Writing Requirement (AWR) through a Health Law AWR seminar or another AWR seminar on a health law topic that has been pre-approved by Professor Elberg or a journal comment on health law topic that has been pre-approved by Professor Elberg (1-3 credits).

3. Maintenance of an overall 3.0 GPA in the health law courses counted toward the Concentration.

Students may not apply courses taken pass/D/fail toward the concentration credit requirement.

Compliance Track

Seton Hall Law offers students the opportunity to take additional credits for a certificate in compliance within the Health Law Concentration.  To qualify for this certificate, students must complete:

Externship Program

Seton Hall Law School's externship program offers Health Law students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in a health care or policy setting. These externships provide students with unparalleled opportunities to meet attorneys who represent providers, payors, consumers, and manufacturers who become a bridge to their careers in health law. Students pursuing the concentration are encouraged to participate in an externship. However, an externship is not a requirement for completing the concentration.

To learn more about these exciting health law externship opportunities, please contact the Office of Career Services at [email protected]. If you wish to discuss your options with a faculty member, please see Professor Jacob Elberg.

Semester in D.C.

Students may earn 8 credits in a semester-long externship, plus 2 credits in a required attendant class, in a government agency. To qualify, students must plan their studies carefully to satisfy their course and residency requirements prior to the D.C. semester. Students are responsible for obtaining their own housing during their semester in D.C. Professor Tara Ragone oversees this program. 

Summer Compliance Fellowships

Each year, several health and life science companies offer paid summer compliance fellowships to students who have completed their first year of law school. These opportunities expose students to the world of compliance, thereby enabling them to compare the compliance profession to the practice of law after spending the second year summer in a law firm or other legal setting. Fellowship applications are generally available after first semester grades become available. Questions may be directed to the Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law at [email protected] or the Office of Career Services at 973-642-8746.