Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic
The Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic provides Rutgers Law students with meaningful experience representing Camden-area patients with substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Under the supervision of Law School faculty, and in collaboration with area medical providers, students address a variety of legal issues that harm clients and create barriers to recovery. Students leave the clinic better equipped for professional success and more committed to lawyering in the public interest.
To reach the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, call (856) 225-6568 or email js2509@law.rutgers.edu.
Leadership
The clinic is led by Jeremy Spiegel, Esq., Clinical Assistant Professor.
Clinic History
In 2017, Rutgers Law launched a medical-legal partnership in Camden together with the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. The MLP program has grown and evolved since, thanks to the contributions of several Rutgers Law alumni. Clinic Director Jeremy Spiegel helped start the program and has provided supervision and strategic guidance throughout.
Since 2021, the MLP has focused on providing services to patients seeking treatment for substance use disorders. MLP attorneys are now integrated with Cooper University Health Care’s Center for Healing (outpatient addiction medicine program). The Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic provides an exciting opportunity for law students to engage in this meaningful and impactful work.
Accordion Content
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The MLP Clinic provides legal representation to Camden-area patients with substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Students will work on a diverse array of cases, including housing and eviction matters, family law cases, benefits appeals, and Municipal Court matters.
The MLP Clinic receives case referrals from medical partners in the community.
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Students can enroll in the MLP Clinic through course registration. There is no special application, and there are no prerequisites.
Throughout the semester, students receive training from clinical faculty and area medical providers. Addiction medicine experts provide lessons on addiction, brain science, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), harm reduction, and other key topics.
Clinical faculty provide weekly lessons on legal skills. Students take part in simulations and exercises to enhance these skills.
In the MLP Clinic, students are the front-line lawyers for actual clients. Students work in pairs to represent their clients with pressing legal issues. Students interview clients, identify legal issues, research and strategize, appear in court, negotiate with opposing attorneys, and counsel clients. Students achieve tremendous personal and professional growth through this unique, hands-on learning experience.
A highlight of the MLP Clinic is our weekly case rounds sessions. In these sessions, the MLP Clinic meets as a law firm to discuss challenging legal questions, difficulties with client representation, and other issues that arise in the course of our zealous representation. Students benefit from talking through their cases and receiving colleagues’ insight.
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“I felt so hopeless. Like, I'm never going to get out of this, I'm never gonna be able to be in recovery…All types of chaos was in my life and [the MLP attorney] helped me slowly but surely get back on track. So, you know, that played a major part in my recovery.”
MLP Client
“[F]or the first time in my life, I felt like somebody really cared about me and didn’t just look at me as addict or ex addict. . . . For that I was grateful.”
MLP Client