Oral

This Panel will discuss the deterioration of the legal environment for public health law, the role that legal academics can play in securing a legal climate that is more supportive of population health, as well as the barriers that public health legal scholar’s face in such efforts. The Panel will also discuss the George Project’s initial work relating to the First Amendment, including its work in the areas of commercial speech (especially relevant to tobacco control and pharmaceutical regulation) and government speech (including the AID Alliance case and Sec. 503). The Panel will conclude with a discussion of additional steps that can be taken to enhance the partnership between public health practitioners and legal scholars so as to advance population health through law.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe the deterioration of the legal environment for public health law. 2. Describe the role that legal academics can play in securing a legal climate that is more supportive of population health, as well as the barriers that public health legal scholar’s face in such efforts. 3. Discuss the George Project's work relating to the First Amendment (commercial speech [especially relevant to tobacco control and pharmaceutical regulation] and government speech [including the AID Alliance case and Sec. 503]). 4. Identify additional steps that can be taken to enhance the partnership between public health practitioners and legal scholars so as to advance population health through law.