The Diversity Summer Fellowship
in Health Law was developed in 2011 by the Health Law Section as part of the New York State Bar Association’s Diversity Challenge to
develop and execute initiatives to increase the diversity of its membership,
leadership and programs and to evaluate the results.
The primary goal of the Diversity Summer Fellowship in Health Law is to
increase representation of lawyers and students from a diverse range of backgrounds in
health law.
The Fellowship will provide students from a diverse range of backgrounds
an opportunity to experience health law practice. The ultimate goal of the
diversity effort of the Health Law Section is to create a network and forge relationships
which will foster greater diversity among health law attorneys throughout the
state.
The Summer Health Law Fellowship Program was created in 2012 in response to a Diversity Challenge organized by the New York State Bar Association. The Fellowship seeks to promote diversity in the legal community, particularly in health law. Since 2012, the Health Law Fellowship Program has placed law students at NYU Langone Medical Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Sinai Health System and Catholic Health Services of Long Island. NYU Langone Medical Center has been a special partner
of this Program sponsoring the very first Fellow in 2013 and continuing to
sponsor students year after year. The Diversity Committee has also sponsored panel discussions to promote interest in health law. In 2014, the first panel discussion was held at Proskauer and in 2016, the second panel discussion was held at Brooklyn Law School. The Fellowship is operated in partnership with and administered by the New York State Bar Foundation. Under the direction of Ms. Lisa D. Hayes, the Diversity Committee of the Health Law Section was awarded a Section Diversity Champion Award in 2013 for its efforts. Special thanks to Diversity Committee members Kathleen Lyons, Beverly Jones, Dionne Schuler (2013 Fellow), and Edwina Martin, Member, Bar Foundation.
Eligibility - Law Student in a
New York State accredited law school.
Application Deadline - TBA
Stipend - $5,000
Length - 8 weeks
Mail: Leigh Dorr, The New York Bar Foundation, One Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207
Email: [email protected], please include ‘Health
Law Fellowship’ on the subject line.
2020 Health Law Fellowship Recipient
Myra Hyder, Brooklyn Law School
2019 Health Law Fellowship Recipient
Zoila Sanchez,
MPH, J.D. Candidate, 2020
Ms. Sanchez is a second-year student at the Maurice A. Deane
School of Law at Hofstra University and a Justice Fellow at the Freedman
Institute.
“As the New York State Bar Association’s 2019 Diversity
Health Law Fellow, I am most excited to have an opportunity that will
equip me to become a Health Law Attorney, and position me to make meaningful
contributions in the health care field.” - Zoila Sanchez
2018 Summer Diversity Fellowship Program Recipient:
Abisha Vijayashanthar, SUNY Buffalo
Abisha Vijayashanthar, 2018 NYSBA Health Law Fellow, just
completed her Health Law Fellowship in the legal department of the Mount Sinai
Health System. Special thanks go out to Beth Essig, General Counsel and
Debi Korzenik, Esq. of the Mount Sinai Health System for sponsoring Ms.
Vijayashanthar and for their ongoing support of the Fellowship which provides
challenging and rewarding opportunities for law students interested in health
law.
Abisha is currently a JD/MPH law student at
Buffalo School of Law and SUNY at Buffalo School of Public Health. Upon being
selected for the Fellowship this summer, Ms. Vijayahanthar stated the
following,
“I aim to pursue a career which will allow me to create
and advocate for policy change within the public health field. I wish to
facilitate the policy creation and advocacy of medical and public health
practices that improve quality of care delivered, reduce health disparities and
inequities, and protect healthcare workers. I had first come across this
fellowship during orientation week and I knew then that this was where I wanted
to start my legal experience. I am now interning at the legal department at Mt.
Sinai with a wonderful team of incredibly bright attorneys who have already
become so invested in my success. Thank you all for selecting me for this wonderful
opportunity. I am grateful for all the opportunities that you and this
fellowship have already allowed me to pursue and will continue to provide. The
skills and knowledge that I gain here will aid in my success in the
future."
The 2017 Summer Diversity Fellowship Program Recipients:
Shandy Abraham of St. John's University School of Law
Lillian Mosely of Hofstra University School of Law
The 2016 Summer Diversity Fellowship Program Recipient:
Amira Yeiser - 2016 Health Law Fellowship Recipient - Fordham University School of Law
As a first-year student at Fordham Law School, I am genuinely overjoyed
to have been chosen to participate in the 2016 Diversity Summer Fellowship in
Health Law. It is with great regard that I learned about the fellowship
from my wonderful mentor, Ms. Lisa Hayes, and this is truly an amazing
opportunity. Placement with NYU Langone Medical Center will allow me to
cultivate my earnest desire to become a lawyer in the healthcare industry, and
I feel confident that I will contribute significantly to the work of the office
while strengthening the skills I’ll need for a career in health law. This
fellowship will allow me to provide my service, time, and dedication to a
career that helps others in need and sustains one of the world’s largest and
fastest-growing industries. It is immeasurably wonderful because I will
gain real-world experience, and hopefully one day increase the diversity of the
attorneys involved in health law. I will forge relationships that will
enable me to grow as a person and increase and expand my professional network.
The New York University Langone Medical Center is an extremely reputable
organization located in the heart of the city, and sincerely has a medical
program that is among the best. I am eternally grateful to all of the
people who have helped me achieve this accomplishment, and to all of the people
affiliated with the New York Bar Association’s Health Law Section who have
helped to create and develop this fellowship.
Omar Mustafa – 2016 Health Law Fellowship Recipient
“I am honored to accept the 2016 Diversity Summer Fellowship
in Health Law with the New York Bar Foundation. The New York State Bar
Associations commitment to increasing representation of lawyers and students
from a diverse range of backgrounds in health law is not only admirable but
vital to the field of law. I am humbled to take part in such a program and hope
to contribute to the field of health law, all the while growing and learning
from this invaluable experience. I look forward to being placed at Montefiore
Medical Center this summer and have the opportunity to be exposed to the inner
workings of the health law community.”
The 2015 Summer Diversity Fellowship Program Recipients:
Congratulations to Justine Park and Brian Miguel Salazar, recipients of the Health Law Section Fellowship! Both are students at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Brian has been placed at Mt. Sinai Medical Center.
"I am very honored and humbled to accept the 2015 New York Bar Foundation Diversity Fellowship and to be the first rising second-year law student to work with the Mount Sinai Medical Center. It is an exciting opportunity to learn from Mount Sinai's Legal Department, following their consolidation with Continuum Health Partners. I look forward to being part of a relatively new department during a time of exciting transition and change. I was very impressed by the passion and excitement conveyed by the Mount Sinai's attorneys during my initial visit. Although the position will undoubtedly require hard work and dedication, I am confident that the upcoming summer a time of great learning and growth. The position will afford me the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of concentrations and assignments, including contracts, real estate, and litigation. Once again, I am truly grateful to the New York Bar Foundation for allowing me the opportunity to work with such a prestigious and impactful organization.”
Justine has been placed at Montefiore Medical Center.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the summer fellowship in Health Law offered by the New York State Bar Association not only in furtherance of my interest in Health Law, but also to have the opportunity to work with experienced health law professionals and attorneys. The program offers the opportunity gain experiences in the sector and understand the inner workings and procedures that go into the process."
The 2014 Summer Diversity Fellowship Program Recipients:
Mital Patel is a first year law student at Fordham University. She has a Masters in Health Administration and has participated in international internship service programs in Ecuador, Mambai, India and Palau National Hospital.
Alysha Sabarwal is a second year law student at Brooklyn Law School and is a Dean's Merit Scholarship recipient. She is a graduate of Rutger's University in Political Science and Labor Studies and this past semester was a Legal Health Intern at the New York Legal Assistance Group.Both Mital Patel and Alysha Sabarwal will be placed at New York University Medical Center this summer.
