Robin Margolis is at it again. This industrious paralegal has started another organization for paralegals that fits the current trends in the field. The Healthcare Paralegal Federation has been formed to meet the needs of healthcare paralegals, paralegals interested in learning more about healthcare law specializations, and legal professionals who are interested in the growth of paralegals in this field.
Margolis, an experienced paralegal from Washington DC and New York, has started two other paralegal organizations that are going strong: e-Discovery Paralegal Network and The Association for Intellectual Paralegals. Why healthcare?
"At the time that the paralegal profession originated in the early 1970s," says Margolis, "paralegals interested in healthcare primarily worked in medical malpractice for law firms. But over the last thirty years, healthcare paralegals have expanded into other incredibly diverse niches."
These niches include:
* healthcare law, legislation, regulation, and lobbying within law firms;
* insurance and corporate matters in health insurance company offices;
* legal nurse consultant businesses;
* medical malpractice groups in law firms;
* healthcare newsletter and website editing for law firms and legal publishing companies;
* patent counsel of pharmaceutical companies;
* disability law firms specializing in ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and other relevant laws;
* Social Security law firms with practice areas devoted to this field;
* elder law (Medicare, Medicaid, trusts and estates, elder abuse, guardianship issues) ;
* Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other pharmaceutical and drug law practices within law firms;
* the general counsels’ offices of hospital systems and health maintenance organizations (HMO);
and many other settings, including government agencies dealing with healthcare issues.
The Healthcare Federation for Paralegals plans to provide a job bank, networking opportunities, newsletter, healthcare forms and up-to-date information on the field. And, it is free to join.