Panel Discusses Law Firm Careers in Health and the Life Sciences
As part of its efforts to expose students to the full spectrum health law careers, the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy hosted a virtual panel on Nov. 17 spotlighting diverse law firm models.
The panel included recent Yale Law School alumni from health care practices big and small:
- Elizabeth Dervan, counsel at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP in Washington, DC, where she focuses on improving Medicaid policy, implementation, and program development;
- Carolyn Lye, an associate in the health care group at Ropes & Gray LLP, where she advises health care entities on transactional, regulatory, and compliance matters; and
- Jacob Madden, a life sciences associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where he works with a broad array of private sector clients on FDA regulatory and other matters.
The panel started with a discussion of the wide range of assignments available to young health lawyers and summer associates. Speakers shared their experiences working on everything from counseling academic medical centers on responses to alleged research misconduct to guiding health care providers through mergers and acquisitions and advising states on the implementation of Medicaid programs.
Speakers highlighted the extraordinary diversity of health practices across the country — from boutique firms specializing in helping providers navigate one or a handful of complex regulatory areas, to full-service firms with clients ranging from health tech startups to large hospital systems. They encouraged students to become involved in health policy projects and clinical work while in law school to gain exposure to different parts of the field.
Panelists also emphasized the importance of researching a firm’s practice areas, recent cases, and team members before submitting a job application. They noted that candidates would be in a stronger position during interviews if they came ready to discuss which of the firm’s matters they hoped to contribute to.
The panel concluded with an audience-led Q&A on topics ranging from which courses to take to prepare for a career as a health lawyer to the different ways law firm associates may become involved in pro bono work.
About the Solomon Center
The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School is the first of its kind to focus on the intersection of law and the governance, practice, and business of health care. The center brings together leading experts and practitioners from the public and private sectors to address cutting-edge questions of health law and policy, and to train the next generation of top health lawyers, industry leaders, policymakers, and academics.
