Wei Chen will be graduating from DePaul College of Law in May 2016 with a Health Law Certificate. Wei Chen shared with E-Pulse what led him to DePaul Law, his experiences and accomplishments while here, and advice for rising 1Ls and 2Ls.Wei Chen graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University, with a Bachelor of Science in Information Assurance and Security Engineering. As an undergraduate research assistant in the Medical Informatics Processing Laboratory, Wei Chen developed statistical computer-aided diagnosis tools for CT lung scans with predictive analytics and data mining techniques. It was during these undergraduate studies where he recognized the gap between lawyers and those in the field of information technology. Wei Chen’s recognition of the need for lawyers who could bridge this gap was the inspiration behind his decision to attend law school. DePaul’s commitment to Vincentian values, reputable Health Law program, and great student culture were instrumental in Wei Chen’s decision to return to DePaul University and attends the College of Law.
At DePaul Law, Wei Chen was the Editor of Articles, Notes, and Comments for DePaul Law Review, while simultaneously being involved in many other organizations. As a member of the Jaharis Health Law Institute, Wei Chen served as the institute’s Vice Director of Marketing. In addition, Wei Chen was a co-founder for the Multicultural Law Students Association, where also served as the Vice President. In founding the MCLSA, Wei Chen sought to create an organization where people who come from diverse backgrounds may be welcomed and work together towards facilitating intercultural communication. He is looking forward to the publication of his article on the Fourth Amendment, cloud computing, and encryption.
Throughout his career at DePaul Law, Wei Chen has had many experiences in the Health Law field outside of the classroom. He was a Jaharis Health Law Institute Sumer Scholar following his 1L year. As a summer scholar, Wei Chen worked as the first legal intern for Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC., a leading global health care company with a focus in pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The following summer, he externed for the Honorable Maria Valdez, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. As a research assistant to Rev. Craig B. Mousin, Wei Chen investigated the impact of the International Ombudsman Association Standards of Practice record retention and privacy standards. Wei Chen believes that DePaul has helped him prepare for a practice in Health Law by providing many networking opportunities with practitioners in the field. Wei Chen also credits the practitioner panels and the Health Law symposium, which exposed him to Health Law practitioners and helped solidify his decision to choose Health Law.
To current students, Wei Chen urges them to not let up after their 1L year, but keep pushing themselves to achieve their best in the classroom. Wei Chen encourages them to continue striving to learn something new; he felt every class he took was important and relevant to his future career as an attorney in Health Law. Specifically, in the area of Health Law, Wei Chen recommends taking Bioethics with Professor Resnicoff and Administrative Law with Professor Franklin. He also suggests being open to getting out of your comfort zone, whether it be by taking a class that you may think doesn’t pertain to your practice area, or joining a student organization that you may find interesting.
The Jaharis Health Law Institute and its Fellows are extremely grateful to Wei Chen for his numerous contributions and his drive for excellence in the Health Law community.