Graduating this May from DePaul University College of Law with a Business Law Certificate, Courtney Mathews is well on her way to success in the health law field. As a graduating student, Courtney shared her experienced opinions on the best classes to take, internships to strive for, and some of her favorite moments as a DePaul law student. Courtney studied at Saint Louis University as an undergraduate thinking that she would go into medicine, but upon realizing that path was not for her, she sought a legal career that would continue that interest. After beginning at DePaul Law, Courtney participated in a number of different internships, gathering a valuable and varied experience. She interned for the American Medical Association (AMA), Council on Ethics & Judicial Affairs as a Health Law Institute Summer Scholar. She worked for a trial judge at the Cook County courthouse who presided over numerous medical malpractice cases. Her judicial externship, while valuable and unlike her work with the AMA, helped Courtney focus on transactional law rather than work in the courtroom. In addition, Courtney was a research assistant to Professor Tuerkheimer for her recently published book, Flawed Convictions: "Shaken Baby Syndrome" and the Inertia of Injustice. Most recently, Courtney was a summer associate with Clark Hill, PLC in their health care practice group.
Like many who have taken it, “Health Care: Fraud & Abuse” was one of Courtney’s favorite classes. She enjoyed Professor Katherine Schostok’s open forum classroom style and the relevancy of the class as it studied current issues in health law.
In addition to her internships and research assistantship, Courtney was involved with the Student Board of the Health Law Institute and DePaul Law Review. Courtney recommends becoming involved a variety of groups as DePaul offers numerous opportunities to explore different areas of the law. She enjoyed that she could pursue a diverse array of interests through these groups, and it was a great way to make friends and meet interesting people. In addition, Courtney suggests students take as many health care and business classes as they can. Understanding business is an essential part of being a health law attorney, and Courtney believes that those classes, in addition to the health law curriculum, are extremely important to an attorney’s success. In particular, Courtney suggested “Business Planning”, “Taxation”, and “Business Organizations” as complements to the health law curriculum.
Courtney will begin her career in the fall at Clark Hill as an associate attorney in their health care practice group.
We at the E-Pulse wish Courtney success as she leaves DePaul and begins an exciting legal career!