Congratulations to the recipient of the 2023 AHLA IDEA Champion Award: Joanne Lax

Professional Career  

Joanne Lax is retired from a forty-plus year legal career at Dykema Gossett PLLC in Michigan. Her health law practice focused upon long-term care, behavioral health, information privacy, and clinical ethics - in addition to a practice in newborn adoptions and assistive reproductive technology.  During her career she served a number of professional organizations in addition to AHLA, including as Chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Health Care Law Section and as a member of the Legal Committee of LeadingAge, a national trade association for non-profit long-term care facilities. She received several honors during her career, including being named as a Best Lawyer and Super Lawyer. 

Joanne’s long career at Dykema is proof that IDEA values can often be advanced without participation in formal activities. As a visually impaired attorney who uses a Leader Dog, her daily presence at her law office, at meetings and events with her clients, and in court was constant evidence that able-ism is an unfounded myth.  She ensured that her firm made its sophisticated technology fully accessible; that it adopted work-place policies and procedures that are disability friendly; that it understood that meaningful disability accommodations can be cost effective and simple; and that it understood that people with disabilities can be counted upon to perform at expected levels.  In these ways, she helped her colleagues and clients embrace a culture of IDEA by recognizing that a disability is not a barrier to success, but instead a challenge to be worked around. 

In her retirement, Joanne is continuing her IDEA efforts by volunteering for social justice and civil rights organizations, as well as serving on IDEA action committees at her faith institution.  

AHLA Career

Joanne is a life member of AHLA who has served AHLA in many different ways. She was a frequent speaker at AHLA in-person programs and webinars, and co-author of several publications. She held many leadership positions in the PALS Practice Group, including as its Chair. She served two terms on the AHLA Board of Directors, where she helped AHLA work through the changing landscape of health law and weather the COVID pandemic. 

During her time at AHLA, many of Joanne’s activities focused upon IDEA. She served on the nascent Diversity Council and helped to establish AHLA’s mentorship program. As part of her activities on the AHLA Board, she helped establish specific IDEA goals and measures for Practice Groups and Programs, and served as Chair of the Board’s Membership-IDEA Committee. She assisted with and spoke at several AHLA IDEA programs, including spearheading and participating in the first-ever disability focused IDEA Round Table for health law CEOs in 2021.

Click here to see Joanne's reaction to being the first winner of the AHLA IDEA Champion Award!

To access the video of the virtual award presentation held on January 11, 2024, click here.

All Recipients

*denotes deceased