Early Career Professionals—Expanding Interest in the Health Law Practice Area by Investing in Law Students: A Law Student's Perspective

• July 01, 2024

• Aubrey Mys

I

n 2022 alone, the National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA) estimated that U.S. health care spending would grow 4.1%, reaching $4.5 trillion, or $13,493 per person.¹ The NHEA also estimated that the U.S. government spent 17.3% of the nation’s gross domestic product on health care.² In 2024, the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) estimated that there are 32,681 health lawyers employed in the United States.³ The American Bar Association (ABA) as of January 1, 2023 estimates that 1,331,290 active lawyers are practicing in every U.S. state and territory.⁴ Health law is a niche practice area compared to other practice areas in the legal field. The proportion of health lawyers to all practicing attorneys in the U.S. is small, even though health care represents a significant expense for the government each year. Additionally, it is important to discuss how the health care industry impacts everyone in the United States. One effective solution that I have seen at my own law school in growing this niche practice area is encouraging current health law attorneys to mentor and help law students interested in the field.

ARTICLE TAGS

• Early Career Professionals