The Top 10 Law Schools for Health Law

Health law is one of the fastest-growing fields, touching everything from medical malpractice to public health policy and bioethics. With healthcare one of the most heavily regulated industries, and a constant focus of political debate, the need for skilled health care lawyers continues to rise.

If you're considering law school and see yourself working with hospitals, health organizations, or policymakers, choosing a program with strong health law offerings is key. Let's walk you through the top law schools for health care law and what you should know before applying.

What Is Health Law?

Health law is about how we regulate health care, from how hospitals operate to how new drugs get approved, to how patient rights are protected. It's a wide-reaching field that touches business, government, technology, and ethics all at once.

If you're considering a career in health law, it's important to know it’s not just about hospitals and doctors. You could be working on biotech regulations, shaping public health policy, handling mergers between health systems, or even advocating for patient rights in court.

Health law pulls in areas like administrative law, antitrust, intellectual property, contract negotiation, data privacy, and even international human rights, depending on where you specialize.

Top schools don't just teach the legal frameworks, but they also give you practical exposure. You might find yourself working on live projects with hospitals, health startups, or government agencies, especially if you're focused on fields like compliance, bioethics, or health care litigation.

Read: How to Get Into a T14 Law School

The Top 10 Law Schools for Health Law

1. Saint Louis University School of Law

• Acceptance Rate: 56.4%
• Law Career Placement: 94.1%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Health Care Law
• Public Health Law
• Public Health Emergency Law
• Comparative Health Law

Law-Focused Resources:

• Center for Health Law Studies
• Concentration in Health Law, which requires 10 credit hours of health law courses and practical health law experience
• Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy
• Health Law Moot Court

Saint Louis University School of Law holds the #1 spot in the 2026-2027 U.S. News health care law rankings. Its Center for Health Law Studies has offered foundational and specialized health law courses since 1982. You can also take health-related public health and ethics courses through SLU’s College for Public Health and Social Justice and the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics. With a 56% acceptance rate, SLU is the most accessible school on this list.

2. Boston University School of Law

• Acceptance Rate: 12.1%
• Law Career Placement: 97.7%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Health Law Survey
• Health Care Transactions
• Public Health Law
• Health Care Finance

Law-Focused Resources:

• American Journal of Law & Medicine
• Health Law Externship Program
• Legislative Policy & Drafting Clinic with a health law focus
• BU Program on Reproductive Justice

Boston University ties for #2 in the U.S. News health care law rankings and posted the highest employment rate on this list for the Class of 2025. You can choose from six health care law concentrations, including corporate, life sciences, and litigation tracks, or design a custom one. Admissions got much tougher this cycle. BU admitted 12.08% of applicants for fall 2025, down from 20.61% a year earlier.

Read: How to Get Into Boston University (BU) Law School

3. Georgia State University College of Law

• Acceptance Rate: 30.6%
• Law Career Placement: 93.3%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Public Health Law
• Health Care Fraud & Abuse
• Pharmaceutical Law
• Reproductive Rights and Justice

Law-Focused Resources:

• Center for Law, Health & Society
• Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic
• Health law certificate program

Georgia State University College of Law ties BU at #2 and gives you strong value as a public school with low in-state tuition. Its Center for Law, Health & Society was established in 2004. The HeLP clinic is a partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Atlanta Legal Aid Society that helps low-income children and their families with legal problems that harm their health. The school launched its health law certificate in 2012.

4. Harvard Law School

• Acceptance Rate: 9.2%
• Law Career Placement: 96.5%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Health Care Law
• Health Law, Policy, Bioethics and Biotechnology Workshop
• Comparative and International Legal Struggles Over Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
• Disability Rights Law

Law-Focused Resources:

• Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics
• Health Law and Policy Clinic at the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation
• Food Law and Policy Clinic
• JD/MPH joint degree with the Harvard School of Public Health

Harvard Law School ties for #4. Health Care Law serves as your introduction to the field, and the year-long workshop works as a capstone where major scholars present works in progress. The Petrie-Flom Center’s ongoing research covers global health and rights, law and applied neuroscience, and health policy. You can also add a public health degree through the JD/MPH program.

Read: Harvard Law School: Program and Application Overview

5. Loyola University Chicago School of Law

• Acceptance Rate: 28.2%
• Law Career Placement: 92.7%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Health Law: Business and Finance
• Health Law: Patients and Populations
• Mental Health Law
• Constitutional Issues in Health Law

Law-Focused Resources:

• Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy
• Annals of Health Law and Life Sciences
• Health law externship program

Loyola University Chicago School of Law ties Harvard at #4. Its Beazley Institute was established in 1984 and focuses on areas including corporate and transactional health law, life sciences, compliance, and health care privacy. To earn the JD Certificate in Health Law, you complete at least 12 credits in the health law curriculum plus a health law externship or approved clinical experience. Loyola also offers an MJ and an LLM in Health Law.

6. Georgetown University Law Center

• Acceptance Rate: 15.8
• Law Career Placement: 96.7%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Global Health Law
• National and Global Health Law: O’Neill Colloquium
• O’Neill Institute Practicum: Regulating Alcohol, Tobacco & Food in International and Comparative Law

Law-Focused Resources:

• O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law
• Georgetown University Health Justice Alliance
• O’Neill Institute research assistant roles and practicum courses

Georgetown Law ties for #6. The school offers more than 40 courses addressing domestic and global health law. The O’Neill Institute organizes its research around seven areas, including food and drug law, global health governance, and infectious diseases. Admissions tightened this cycle, with the acceptance rate falling to 15.75% for fall 2025 from 20.13% the year before.

Read: Georgetown University Law Center: Program and Application Overview

7. University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

• Acceptance Rate: 26.1%
• Law Career Placement: 88.9%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Health Care Law and Policy
• Public Health and the Law
• Law and Policy of Emergency Public Health Response
• Licensing and Disciplining of Health Care Professionals Seminar

Law-Focused Resources:

• Public Health Law Clinic and the Medical-Legal Partnership
• Journal of Health Care Law & Policy
• Health Law Regulatory and Compliance Competition

Maryland Carey Law ties Georgetown at #6. Its Law & Health Care Program celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. The program offers more than 25 health law courses and more than 30 externship placements at hospitals, federal and state agencies, and nonprofits. To earn the Health Law Certificate, you complete at least 17 credits in health law, including the required Health Care Law & Policy course.

8. Stanford Law School

• Acceptance Rate: 6.1%
• Law Career Placement: 95.3%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Health Law: The FDA
• Introduction to Law and the Biosciences
• Biomedical Innovation Law and Policy
• Law and the Biosciences Workshop

Law-Focused Resources:

• Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences
• JD/MS in Health Policy through the Department of Health Policy
• BioLaw student organization

Stanford Law School ranks #8 and fits you best if you want to work in biotech or life sciences law. Health Law: The FDA covers the agency’s regulation of drugs and biologics, along with medical devices and nutritional supplements. Stanford’s location in the San Francisco Bay Area puts you in a leading center for biotechnology and medical devices.

Read: Stanford Law School: Acceptance Rates, Deadlines, & How to Get In

9. University of Houston Law Center

• Acceptance Rate: 23.0%
• Law Career Placement: 90.3%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• The Law of Patient Care
• Health Care Institutions
• Health Legislation and Advocacy
• Mental Health Law

Law-Focused Resources:

• Health Law & Policy Institute (HLPI)
• Houston Journal of Health Law & Policy
• Health Law Clinic
• JD/MPH with The University of Texas School of Public Health

University of Houston Law Center ties for #9. The Health Law & Policy Institute was founded in 1978 to advise the Texas Legislature, and the university became a member institution of the Texas Medical Center in 2009. That membership links you directly to the world’s largest medical complex. You can also take relevant courses at UTHealth’s School of Public Health and UT Medical Branch at Galveston.

Read: University of Houston Law Center: Program and Application Overview

10. Yale Law School

• Acceptance Rate: 4.1%
• Law Career Placement: 96.7%

Example Health and Law Classes:

• Health Law
• Bioethics and Law
• Food and Drug Administration Law
• Medical-Legal Partnership Seminar

Law-Focused Resources:

• Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy
• Medical-Legal Partnership program with Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine
• Global Health Justice Partnership, hosted with the Yale School of Public Health

Yale Law School ties for #9. Its 2025 acceptance rate was 4.1%, the lowest of any law school in the United States. The Solomon Center was the first of its kind to focus on law and the governance, practice, and business of health care. Its Medical-Legal Partnership serves more than 600 client-patients a year and involves more than forty Yale Law students.

Read: How to Get Into Yale Law School

What to Look for in a Great Healthcare Law Program

When you're evaluating law schools for healthcare law, first things to consider are fit and future opportunities. A great program offers a strong foundation in both core legal training and specialized health law topics like healthcare regulation, bioethics, malpractice litigation, public health law, and biotechnology.

Look for schools that go beyond one or two electives. You want robust course offerings, clinics that focus on health or disability law, externships with hospitals or health policy groups, and faculty with real-world expertise in healthcare.

Bonus if the school partners with local medical centers, health systems, or government agencies because those connections will open real doors for your future career.

Joint JD/MPH Programs and Dual-Degree Options

If you're serious about working at the intersection of law and public health, a dual degree can be a powerful advantage. Many top schools offer joint JD/MPH programs (Master of Public Health), allowing you to graduate with both degrees in around four years. Some also offer options like JD/MS in Bioethics or Health Policy.

These programs give you deeper knowledge of healthcare systems, epidemiology, and public health strategy. You will gain skills that are critical whether you want to work in policy reform, hospital administration, regulatory law, or global health. When exploring schools, ask how flexible the joint-degree curriculum is, what extra tuition or time commitments look like, and how integrated the two programs really are.

Read: The Top 10 Accelerated JD Programs

Careers You Can Pursue With a Focus in Health Law

Health law is broader than many students initially realize, and that's a good thing. A background in healthcare law opens doors across sectors, not just in hospitals or government. Here are some common career paths:

• In-House Counsel: Advise hospitals, health systems, insurance companies, or biotech firms on legal compliance, contracts, and regulatory matters.
• Pharmaceutical and Biotech Compliance: Help companies navigate FDA regulations, drug approval processes, and healthcare privacy laws.
• Malpractice and Defense Litigation: Represent healthcare providers in cases involving medical negligence or regulatory disputes.
• Health Policy and Public Interest Law: Work on healthcare reform, public health initiatives, or patient advocacy through think tanks, nonprofits, or government agencies.
• Regulatory Advisory: Consult with healthcare startups, medical device companies, or telehealth firms on how to meet evolving legal standards.
• Nonprofit and Public Health Work: Support underserved communities through legal aid organizations focused on healthcare access and patient rights.

As telemedicine, AI in healthcare, health equity, and privacy concerns continue to reshape the field, the career options keep growing. Focus on building both strong legal skills and industry fluency during law school to keep as many opportunities open as possible.

Factors We Considered for These Rankings

• We didn’t just rank programs based on course titles or outdated reputation surveys. Instead, we focused on what actually matters when you're trying to build a career in health law. Here's what we prioritized:
• Depth and Breadth of Health Law Curriculum: Schools offering a wide range of specialized courses, not just a token "Health Law 101."
• Strength of Clinical Programs: Opportunities for hands-on experience through clinics focused on healthcare, public health, or bioethics.
• Connections to Health Institutions: Partnerships with major hospitals, public health departments, or biotech companies that give students real-world exposure.
• Clerkship and Internship Placements: Track records of students landing judicial clerkships or internships related to healthcare law or policy.
• Career Support in Health Law: Dedicated advising, mentorship, and networking specifically for students targeting the healthcare sector.
• Alumni Outcomes: A strong showing of graduates securing jobs in health-related legal fields, not just BigLaw but also public health, nonprofits, and compliance roles.

How to Choose the Right Health Law Program for You

The right health law program is the one that matches the career you want, so start with your goals instead of the rankings. Health lawyers work at law firms and inside health care organizations like hospitals and insurers. Each path calls for different coursework and hands-on training.

Begin by naming the work you want to do. If you see yourself advising hospitals on health care regulations, look for courses in compliance and fraud and abuse. If privacy interests you, find classes that cover the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the rules for protecting medical records. If you lean toward litigation, look for training on hospital duties under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). Policy-minded students should seek out coursework on health insurance and public programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Students drawn to transactional work should look for classes on medical practice ownership and provider contracts.

Next, compare how each school helps you build real experience. Prioritize programs with active health law clinics and faculty who research the issues you care about. Strong externship pipelines matter too, because placements at hospitals and government agencies give you the practical skills employers look for.

Finally, get to know the field before you apply. Professional groups like the American Health Lawyers Association publish resources and host events that can show you which practice areas fit your interests.

Bottom Line

If you're passionate about healthcare and the law, there’s never been a better time to jump in. Health law is a field where smart, driven lawyers can shape real change, for patients, for providers, and for entire communities.

The best law schools for health law don’t just teach you the rules; they connect you with leaders, hands-on experiences, and a network that opens doors. Think about what kind of impact you want to make and pick a program that gives you the tools to make it happen.

Get Help Choosing the Right Law Program for Your Law Career Goals

The health care industry needs lawyers, and just by being here you’re already on the right path to getting there. You don’t have to have everything figured out yet – in fact, seeking guidance from an expert will ensure you’re putting your best foot forward no matter which law school program you apply to.

Start working with one of our law school admissions coaches for expert guidance as you begin the application process. From choosing where to apply to highlighting your brightest achievements and future goals in each application, you’ll be able to begin law school in no time.

You can also join a law school livestream to get your questions answered live. For structured support from start to finish, enroll in the Law School Application Bootcamp.

Read next:

• Law School Application Deadlines (T20 Programs)
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• LSAT vs. GRE for Law School–Which to Take and How to Ace Both
• How to Get Into a T14 Law School
• LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS): What it Is and How It Works for Law School Applications
• Law School Personal Statement: Guide & Admit Examples
• How Many Law Schools You Should Apply To (& How to Choose One)
• Law Schools That Don't Require the LSAT: Exploring Your Options

FAQs

How do you get into healthcare law?

• To get into healthcare law, you typically complete a J.D. degree and take specialized courses in health care law programs offered by your law school. Building experience through clinics, internships, or externships with healthcare organizations can also strengthen your path.

What best describes health law?

• Health law focuses on the legal rules and regulations that govern health care providers, patients, insurers, and public health systems. It covers everything from healthcare access to patient rights and hospital compliance.

What does a career in health law look like?

• A career in health law can involve advising hospitals, representing patients, working in government agencies, or shaping healthcare policy. Many lawyers collaborate closely with health law faculty and mentors to develop expertise during law school.

Which law school is best for health law?

• Some of the top choices for law students interested in health law include Saint Louis University, Georgetown, Boston University, and Georgia State, all known for strong healthcare law concentrations.

How do I become a healthcare lawyer?

• To become a healthcare lawyer, you need to earn a J.D., pass the bar exam, and build experience working on legal issues involving hospitals, insurance companies, or public health. Knowledge of policies like the Affordable Care Act is especially important.