Pandemic Policymaking: Assessing Legal Responses to COVID-19
08.18.20 —As the nation continues to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Northeastern University School of Law is proud to announce that Professors Wendy E. Parmet, Leo Beletsky and Patricia Williams; Visiting Scholar Michael Sinha; and Jessica Bresler ’20 are among 50 national experts convened to assess the US policy response to the crisis to date. This new report offers policy recommendations on 35 wide-ranging topics, from pandemic preparedness and healthcare to conducting sound elections and adapting immigration policy. Designed to advise leaders at the federal, state and local level, the report presents a timely examination of policy challenges and opportunities in light of the pandemic.
Read the Northeastern-authored chapters:
- Wendy E. Parmet
Summary of Findings and Recommendations for Action
Immigration Law’s Adverse Impact on COVID-19
- Leo Beletsky and Jessica Bresler ’20
COVID-19, Incarceration & the Criminal Legal System
- Micheal Sinha
COVID-19: State and Local Responses to PPE Shortages - Patricia Williams
Legal Responses from a Critical Race Theory Perspective (forthcoming)
The report provides critical legal analysis and recommendations, rooted in empirical evidence and expert assessment. Each author discusses how the law has been used, misused or under-used in the response to COVID-19. The report addresses not only legal doctrine, but also matters of implementation, including both strategies and resources for policymakers. As the impact of the pandemic and government responses continue to unfold, the report raises important questions about the efficacy of efforts to contain COVID-19 and to maintain human and civil rights, equity and ethics ‒ while offering innovative and research-driven policy solutions.
This report is produced by Temple Center for Public Health Law Research, Center for Health Policy and Law, Northeastern University School of Law, Public Health Law Watch, Wayne State University, Indiana University, The Network for Public Health Law and ChangeLab Solutions.
This work is sponsored by the American Public Health Association and the de Beaumont Foundation.
Download the executive summary, full report or individual chapters at COVID19PolicyPlaybook.org.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country and is a national leader in legal education reform. Founded with cooperative legal education as the cornerstone of its program, Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences. All students participate in full-time legal placements, and can choose from the more than 1,500 employers worldwide participating in the school’s signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experience to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu