”We invite students in health and in the law to experience the power of partnership that MLP can leverage. It is always exciting to see the students learning from each other and recognizing that they each bring a unique perspective to the issue at hand. Over the years, the Summer Internship has created lasting friendships, shaped career interests, and resulted in real change in our healthcare system.“
Brian Johnston, M.D., MPH
WA MLP Medical Director and Co-Founder
”We invite students in health and in the law to experience the power of partnership that MLP can leverage. It is always exciting to see the students learning from each other and recognizing that they each bring a unique perspective to the issue at hand. Over the years, the Summer Internship has created lasting friendships, shaped career interests, and resulted in real change in our healthcare system.“
Brian Johnston, M.D., MPH
WA MLP Medical Director and Co-Founder
Summer Internship
Each year, MLP offers a collaborative paid summer internship. This experience is designed for two students: a law school student and a graduate student in public health, health sciences or a pre-health profession. Over 8-10 weeks, the students collaborate on a topic of interest to MLP and key stakeholders. Supervision is provided by an MLP attorney, by one of the medical directors of the MLP, and by mentors selected according to the project focus for the summer. The internship provides exposure to issues at the intersection of healthcare and civil legal aid along with experience in areas such as program assessment, literature review, and survey development. Interns may conduct key informant interviews, facilitate listening sessions, write issue briefs and final reports, and present on their findings. Each summer project generates work product and deliverables of use to the MLP and determined in advance with the participating students. Many of our projects have changed care, improved processes, and even modified State payment models.
Past intern projects:
- Legal needs presenting barriers to post-acute care in difficult-to-discharge hospitalized adults
- Increasing access for non-opioid pain therapy for low income adults with chronic non-cancer pain
- Obtaining Medicaid coverage for mattress encasements to prevent dust mite exposure in children with asthma
- Identifying legal needs of patients presenting to the Harborview Medical Center Emergency Department
- Highlighting equity in the mandated reporting process for pediatric patients
***Applications for the Summer 2023 MLP Internship have closed. Please check back in March 2024 for information on the Summer 2024 MLP Internship.***