Building Careers in Health Law

Building Careers in Health Law: Inaugural Event of the HLSA at UofO

by Natasha Danson and Darcy Ammerman of UofO Law

Health law is an emerging and exciting field in Canada. The Health Law Student Association at the University of Ottawa (HLSA) grew out of the observation that, unlike other Canadian law schools, Fauteux Hall did not yet have a student organization for those students specifically interested in health law. So far, the student response to the HLSA has been fantastic.

Our first jam-packed HLSA event took place on November 12, 2008 when Mary Jane Dykeman, a Toronto-based lawyer, delivered an informative lecture entitled “Building Careers in Health Law”. Ms. Dykeman is a guru in the health law field; she regularly advises health care clients on a broad range of issues including mental health, consent and capacity, health privacy, governance, and hospital risk management, and she is active in the health law community through her academic posts at Osgoode Hall Law School.

At the event, Ms. Dykeman shared her varied experiences in the health law field and imparted students with valuable career advice. In particular, Ms. Dykeman recommended that students strive to gain recognition and expertise in the health law field by participating in public speaking events and by publishing case comments and papers as soon as is practicable.

Building upon our “Careers in Health Law” theme, we plan to host a panel of Canadian health law experts to share their experiences in the field next semester.

In February, the HLSA will also co-host the “Health & Human Rights Conference”, a day-long conference in collaboration with the UofO chapter of CLAIHR, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights. As part of this conference, the HLSA will review paper submissions and invite international and local speakers to speak in Fauteux Hall. We believe that this collaboration will prove invaluable for those students seeking to explore the connections between health, human rights and the law internationally.

In the winter semester, the HLSA Charity Committee will also host an evening event to fundraise money for a local charitable organization addressing health care issues.

If you’d like to get involved in the HLSA or have any questions, please contact us via email.

Natasha Danson is the Co-Chair of the HLSA
Darcy Ammerman is the Fundraising Coordinator of the HLSA

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