Extracurricular activities are an important part of the intellectual life at Yale Law School. Many of the 60 student organizations sponsor events or projects relating to health.
Yale Health Law and Policy Society The Yale Health Law and Policy Society (YHeLPS), the student arm of the Center, serves as a central hub for health-related programming at the Law School. YHeLPS invites speakers, plans career information sessions and networking events, organizes experiential learning opportunities like the medical-legal partnership, and coordinates with other health organizations throughout Yale University. The student directors of YHeLPS play an active role in shaping the organization’s mission and developing new programs.
Medical Legal Partnerships The medical-legal partnership (MLP) model combines health and legal services at a single site of care. YLS students participating in an MLP meet with patients at local health clinics and help address legal needs like access to government programs, housing, and custody. The Yale Health Law & Policy Society (YHeLPS), the student arm of the Center, coordinates five MLP opportunities: the Children’s Advocacy MLP, Haven MLP, Palliative Care MLP, Transitions MLP, and Veterans MLP. Several of these MLP clinics—Haven and Transitions —work closely with the New Haven Legal Assistance Association (NHLAA), while others partner with different legal service organizations in the area.
Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics The Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics (YJHPLE) is a biannual publication of the Yale Schools of Law, Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing. YJHPLE is one of the top health law publications in the country and provides a forum for interdisciplinary discussion relevant to academics, professionals, and policymakers. Unlike other student publications at YLS, YJHPLE relies on peer review to assess submissions.
Yale Food Law Society (FoodSoc) FoodSoc is a nonpartisan community that promotes the study of and engagement with food and agriculture law and policy. FoodSoc advocates an approach that is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable.
Universities Allied for Essential Medicine Founded at YLS in 2001, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines is an international organization of students from law, medicine, and other disciplines who strive to improve access to medicines in resource-limited countries. The Yale chapter of the organization works with faculty, university officials, media, and policymakers on issues of research, intellectual property, and access to medicines.
Yale Law Students for Reproductive Justice Yale Law Students for Reproductive Justice works on educating, organizing, and supporting law students who seek to protect and expand reproductive rights as basic civil and human rights.
