The Dalhousie Health Justice Institute (DHJI)

The DHJI seeks to understand, use and adapt law and policy to improve health and well-being through scholarship, education and public service.

Scholarship

Objective: To foster strong and innovative health law and policy scholarship

• by cultivating interdisciplinary health law and policy research networks
• by engaging in principled analysis of both recognized and emerging areas of health law and policy
• by enabling knowledge transfer

Education

Objective: To advance health law and policy education

• by designing and implementing education programs for law, medicine, health, and dentistry students
• by providing continuing education opportunities for health professionals and legal practitioners

Public Service

Objective: To serve the public in our areas of expertise

• by contributing to the societal understanding of health law and policy issues
• by providing expertise and consulting to organizations in the public sector
• by engaging in and supporting the policy-making process at local, regional, provincial, national, and international levels

Programs

The Dalhousie Health Justice Institute at the Schulich School of Law offers expertise in health law and policy with a focus on the issues that will impact the professional practices of our cross-disciplinary students.

Since 1999, HJI has provided JD and graduate students (LLM and JSD) with one of the largest collections of health law and policy classes in Canada.

In addition to our offering a Health Law & Policy specialization to Schulich School of Law students, we also offer lectures and classes to students in the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Health at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education levels.

JD Program: Health Law & Policy Specialization

The Health Justice Institute at Dalhousie University is a distinctive interdisciplinary institute of the Faculties of Law, Medicine, Health Professions and Dentistry. Students wishing to specialize in Health Law & Policy have the option of obtaining a certificate of specialization while completing the three year JD degree.

Dalhousie is taking the lead when it comes to raising a new generation of students trained in health law. Our program prepares graduates to excel in one of the fastest growing areas of practice.

Graduate Program

Graduate students are welcomed from across the country and around the globe.  While there is no Health Law and Policy specialization annotation for LLM transcripts, all of the classes (with the exception of the Health Law Placement and a Health Law exchange) are open to LLM students. In addition, LLM students may do their supervised thesis research within the Health Law and Policy field.

Interdisciplinary PhD

It is also possible to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD drawing on such disciplines as philosophy, law, and medicine. Each program of study will be unique and must be negotiated with the Faculty of Graduate Studies and prospective faculty supervisors.

The DHJI website has further details.