Our Mission
Leading health law to excellence through education, information, and dialogue, the American Health Lawyers Association (Health Lawyers) is the nation's largest, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to legal issues in the healthcare field with more than 10,000 members. Currently 38 staff members are responsible for the operational activities of the organization.
The mission of the American Health Lawyers Association is to provide a collegial forum for interaction and information exchange to enable its members to serve their clients more effectively; to produce the highest quality nonpartisan educational programs, products, and services concerning health law issues; and to serve as a public resource on selected healthcare legal issues.
Health Lawyers provides resources to address the issues facing its active members who practice in law firms, government, in-house settings and academia and who represent the entire spectrum of the health industry: physicians, hospitals and health systems, health maintenance organizations, health insurers, life sciences, managed care companies, nursing facilities, home care providers, and consumers.
As a 501(c)(3) organization, Health Lawyers elects not to advocate for or against any particular policy proposals. The public interest efforts of Health Lawyers are designed to provide pro bono materials to the public at large. Visit our Public Interest page for more information about our various initiatives and publications and to make a donation to our Public Interest efforts.
Our Commitment to Diversity
In principle and in practice, the American Health Lawyers Association values and seeks diverse and inclusive participation within the Association regardless of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. The Association welcomes all members as it leads health law to excellence through education, information and dialogue.
Our Priorities
- Diversity
- Practice Groups: To facilitate the exchange of ideas and information among the health law and life sciences communities.
- Education/Programs: To be a premier provider of continuing education opportunities for its members and for the health law community.
- Professional Resources: To provide our members and the health law community with publications and electronic products written and developed by our member experts that are essential resources for understanding the complexities of health law.
- Professional Advancement: Fostering the professional advancement and career development of the health law community.
- Public Interest: To serve as a public resource on selected healthcare legal issues.
- AHLA Fellows: Honors accomplishments of the leading health law experts across the country.
Our Members
Health Lawyers’ membership is diverse not only in background but in their practice areas and settings. More than 10,000 members strong, the membership of Health Lawyers includes in-house counsel, solo practitioners, health professionals, government attorneys, academicians, and students. Learn more about the benefits of membership in Health Lawyers by visiting the Membership area of our website. Health Lawyers offers membership to individuals, students, academics, government employees, as well as an alliance program for Student and State Health Law Organizations. Join today!
Our Governance
AHLA is governed by a Board of 28 members. The Board of Directors meets twice a year in person. The Board also meets several times a year by telephone conference. Board members serve on the following Committees: Nominating, Public Interest, Membership, Finance, Programs, Practice Groups, and Publications. Health Lawyers also has a Past Presidents' Council. An Executive Committee composed of 10 members meets 4-6 times a year in person and by telephone conference.
Our History
On July 1, 1997, the National Health Lawyers Association (NHLA) and the American Academy of Healthcare Attorneys (AAHA) combined into a single organization, creating the nation's largest educational organization devoted to legal issues in the health industry. Read more about our history.