About | Recent News and Spotlights | HLS Calendar | Giving to HLS

Food Law and Policy Clinic of the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation

Visit the WilmerHale Legal Services Center website or blog

Student Work | Clinical and Course Information | Faculty and Staff | Contact

Student Work

The Food Law and Policy Clinic of the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation was established in 2010 to link Harvard Law students with opportunities to work with clients and communities on various food law and policy issues. The Clinic aims to increase access to healthy foods, prevent diet-related diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and assist small farmers and producers in participating in food markets.

Students in the Clinic have the opportunity to work on a range of federal, state, and local law and policy projects, such as:

	working with state and local food policy councils to identify and support policy changes to the food system; analyzing and recommending ways to increase access to healthy produce for low-income individuals and those living in areas with limited food access; identifying and eliminating legal and non-legal barriers inhibiting small producers from selling at farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants, and farm-to-school or farm-to-institution programs; assessing food safety laws to inform regulatory changes that could increase economic opportunities for small producers; establishing and supporting rural farmers markets, including breaking down barriers to the use of SNAP (food stamps) and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits at markets; and investigating best practices to promote healthy school environments, including improving the food options available in public schools, promoting better school health curricula, increasing the procurement of fresh, local foods for school meals, and creating more opportunities for school and community gardens.

While the primary offices of the Food Law and Policy Clinic are at the Legal Services Center in Jamaica Plain, the clinic has an on-campus office. Given the national scope of much of our work, students can often meet with clinic staff and conduct their work on-campus. There are also frequently opportunities to travel both within and outside Massachusetts to work with our state-based community partners.

Clinical and Course Information

For registration information, see the 2013-2014 clinical curriculum.

Faculty and Staff

Emily Broad Leib (Director, Food Law and Policy Clinic; Clinical Instructor; Lecturer on Law)
Alli Condara (Clinical Fellow)
Sarah Downer (Clinical Fellow)
Robert Greenwald (Director, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation; Clinical Professor of Law)

Contact

Emily Broad Leib
ebroad@law.harvard.edu
617-390-2590

Laura Johnston
ljohnston@law.harvard.edu
617-390- 2552

Clinical and Pro Bono Programs

Last modified: October 01, 2013