From the Deans' Suite - 4/17/26 - The William I Weisberg Center for Health Law & Policy

Health law is no longer a specialized corner of legal practice — it is one of the most visible places where law, policy, and daily life converge. Questions of access to care, insurance coverage, regulatory oversight, and public trust shape not only the healthcare system, but the lived experiences of individuals and communities across the country. In these times, the need for rigorous, practice-focused health law education has never been greater. The William I. Weisberg Center for Health Law & Policy exists because of that need—and because the Cleveland State University College of Law is uniquely positioned to meet it.

Today, the Center stands as a vital part of CSU Law’s mission. It offers students a deeply practice-focused curriculum, certificate pathways, mentoring, externships, and access to a health law network that reflects both the strength of the Cleveland region and the national reach of the field. The Center is led by its faculty Co-Directors, Professors Laura Hoffman and Abby Moncrieff, whose combined expertise reflects the breadth of contemporary health law.

Professor Hoffman’s work focuses on health policy and disability law. She is a prolific legal scholar, with publications in leading journals including the Notre Dame Journal of Legislation, The Pittsburgh Journal of Environmental & Public Health Law, Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine, the American Journal of Law and Medicine, the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, the Oklahoma Law Review, and the Georgia State Law Review (forthcoming). Professor Hoffman is a sought-after expert on issues of disability law, health equity, social determinants of health, and telehealth regulation/accessibility, regularly contributing her expertise to national audiences.

Professor Moncrieff’s scholarship explores the intersection of health law, constitutional law, and political theory, with publications in leading journals including the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the University of Houston Law Review (forthcoming). Professor Moncrieff’s upcoming book, Constitutional Technocracy, advances an ambitious new theory of governance and applies it to the American constitutional order.

This year also marks an important moment of leadership growth with the arrival of Jennifer Edlind, J.D., CHC, as the Center’s new Executive Director. Jenn has substantial experience in healthcare compliance, governance, and regulatory practice, most recently serving as Vice President, Compliance and Ethics at McKesson and previously as Director of Compliance for University Hospitals. Active in the health law and compliance communities, she brings professional credibility, practical insight, and a clear understanding of the intersection of legal education, institutional leadership, and public trust. With Jenn’s leadership, the Center gains not only operational strength, but renewed momentum for the work ahead.

Kim Bixenstine, the Center’s Leader-in Residence, brings keen insight and executive leadership skills to the Center’s work and chairs our Health Law Advisory Council. Following a distinguished career in health law and compliance, Kim guides the Advisory Council to ensure that the Center remains connected to the realities of healthcare legal practice while continuing to grow in reach and impact.

The character and expertise of the Weisberg Center were on full display at last week’s Journal of Law & Health Symposium, which convened scholars, practitioners, and students around a theme both timely and urgent: “A Shot Across the Bow: The Breaking Point of American Health Insurance.” The symposium examined the legal architecture of the American health insurance system, with leading scholars exploring how administrative law, institutional design, and regulatory oversight shape accountability, access to care, and the future stability of the insurance market. Just as importantly, the conversation highlighted the human consequences of health insurance design, with multiple speakers addressing healthcare disparities, access for marginalized populations, and the policy interventions and community partnerships necessary to build a more equitable system.

The symposium’s keynote speaker, Professor Matthew B. Lawrence of Emory University School of Law, brought a national perspective to those discussions, examining the history of healthcare reform and proposing a relational approach to building public support for future change. Professor Moncrieff and Holly Lloyd, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Law & Health, delivered opening remarks, underscoring a familiar and welcome truth at CSU Law: students build our most successful programs and are eager to engage seriously with the future of law and public policy. The Symposium reaffirmed the Center’s role as a convening force in the health law community and highlighted the Journal's continuing importance as a forum for rigorous scholarly engagement.

The Center’s work continues across multiple fronts. These include academic programming and certificates in health care law and compliance; research and publication through the Journal of Law & Health; mentoring and professional advising; student engagement through the Health Law Society; externships with organizations such as University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, and Medical Mutual. Public-facing conferences and programs connect legal education to pressing contemporary challenges, with recent programming ranging from healthcare finance to broader public-health questions, including a 2025 interdisciplinary event with the CSU Law Center for Criminal Justice – “Weaponizing Public Health: The Role of Law and Policy in Curbing Gun Violence” – which examined gun violence through both a public health lens as well as a criminal justice perspective. Together, these activities reflect the Center’s commitment not only to analysis, but to shaping the future of law and policy in this indispensable field.

Health law will only become more central in the years ahead. We are proud that the William I. Weisberg Center for Health Law & Policy is helping to lead that future – through scholarship, teaching, service, and a steadfast commitment to the public good.

Warmly,
Brian