Public Health Law 101

A Foundational Course for Public Health Practitioners

Overview

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Law Program (PHLP) has developed a foundational course on public health law as a learning resource for public health practitioners, students, and others. The course comprises nine lecture units for delivery by legal counsel to health departments and by other persons trained in law.

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Scope

This course provides an introduction to fundamental principles of law, ethics, and the legal system as they frame public health practice in the United States.

Target audiences

This course has been designed for delivery especially to the following groups:

Front-line practitioners in federal, state, tribal, and local public health agencies
Students in schools of public health and law
Emergency management professionals, health educators, program managers, and others with interests in and responsibilities for public health

The course comprises nine lecture units covering basic principles of law and topical areas in relation to front-line public health practice. Each unit is designed for delivery in approximately 1 hour, but can be expanded or abridged according the sponsoring program’s interests. The course design is modeled after CDC’s Public Health Emergency Law course and adapted from key elements in “Law in Public Health Practice, Second Edition” published by Oxford University Press in 2007. The nine lecture units are:

Instructional delivery

The course is designed for delivery by lawyers for public health agencies, by law school instructors, and by other attorney faculty who have expertise in teaching this subject matter. An instructor may wish to customize a given unit by reducing the total number of slides and/or by inserting additional slides, such as pertinent statutes or regulations from the instructor’s jurisdiction. This course can be delivered in full 1 to 2 days. All content currently displayed in each slide cannot be altered; however, additional slides can be made to customize the course simply by adding a slide in the appropriate area.

Disclaimer: The contents of these course materials have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy. These materials are for instructional use only and are not intended as a substitute for professional legal or other advice. While every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of these materials, legal authorities and requirements may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Always seek the advice of an attorney or other qualified professional with any questions you may have regarding a legal matter.

Note: All content currently displayed in each unit and presentation cannot be altered in any way. However, additional slides can be made to customize the course simply by adding a slide in the appropriate area.