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Impact Stories
Mentorship at Every Stage of the Journey
Alexander is a former AHLA intern and currently works at the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization as an intern. He envisions working in the public sector producing equitable and lasting change in health care. His AHLA internship gave him the confidence needed to engage with mentors and changemakers who helped him belong to a community.
From the beginning, AHLA has provided me with vital mentorship and advice to help me achieve my goals. I am grateful for the close connection AHLA has with my university, mainly Professor Asha Scielzo, who has been an inspirational mentor at every step of my educational journey. My internship experience with AHLA provided me the confidence to speak and network with practitioners, a skill I previously struggled with and look forward to cultivating further. My internship at AHLA was an affirming experience that helped me realize that I belong in this legal community.” Alexander Naum, Intern, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
Connecting with a Collegial Forum of Deep Thinkers
Matt Wetzel has been practicing health law for almost 20 years and has served as the Chair of the Fraud and Abuse Practice Group, and currently serves as a member of the AHLA Board of Directors. He prides himself on being an expert in a specialty that impacts the health and livelihood of patients around the globe. Matt is honored to be part of an organization of professionals that are making a lasting impact on the health care industry.
“AHLA has given me the chance to “go deep” on complex topics with experts who not only understand the nuances but also the practical consequences of pressing legal issues. AHLA is made up of collaborative, collegial, and brilliant lawyers and compliance professionals who make a lasting impact on the health care industry but more importantly on each other. We are all so fortunate to practice in this field!” Matthew E. Wetzel, Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP
A Lifeline for Career Success
Kristen works as a partner at McGuireWoods LLP, has served as a volunteer and leader at AHLA, and currently offers her insights and ideas to a program planning committee. She has been a benefactor of many AHLA leadership opportunities and educational offerings and has enjoyed the collegial environment found at AHLA.
"When I joined AHLA as a young associate, I realized what an incredibly collegial organization it is and that what you get out is commensurate with your input. Little did I know that I would be active all these years later, much less hold leadership positions. AHLA resources enriched my understanding of health law issues, allowed me to collaborate with knowledgeable people in the field, and helped me become a better and more confident attorney.” Kristen Woodrum, Partner, McGuireWoodsLLP
Part of a Community Built on Collegiality
Mike Paulhus joined AHLA in June 2006, has served as Chair of the Fundamentals of Health Law Program Planning Committee, and currently serves as a member of the AHLA Board of Directors. He is passionate about helping healthcare provider clients reduce risk, developing a strong culture of ethics and compliance, and supporting business solutions to better serve patients. As an AHLA member, He is proud to be part of a community of supporters and dedicated professionals making a lasting impact.
“I have found the AHLA community continues to boast exceptional collegiality. There have been countless times when AHLA friends have reached out to kick around ideas, ask for introductions or references, or to say they were in town and see if I wanted to get together—and I do the same. Practicing law is much more enjoyable when you know you are part of a strong community of dedicated professionals.” Michael E. Paulhus, Partner, King & Spalding LLP
A Lifeline to Build a Successful Practice
Mark serves on the AHLA Board of Directors as Chair of the Education Committee. He credits his academic and vocational success to AHLA members who helped him find the resources he needed to become a health law leader. Mark continues to pay it forward by assisting organizations to effectuate positive changes in health equity, serving historically underserved populations, and advancing IDEA principles.
“There is no better source for health law content than AHLA, something extremely attractive to a lifelong learner. The camaraderie among health law professionals of all types – not only attorneys – is a primary attraction of my AHLA membership. AHLA members are among the most giving professionals I’ve ever met. Giving freely of themselves and back to our profession are deeply rooted within the AHLA member mindset. I am deeply indebted to those AHLA members who invited me into their community, gave freely of their hard-earned knowledge, and helped me develop into the professional I am today. Anything I can do to continue those AHLA traditions and pay it forward is both enjoyable and rewarding.” Mark S. Kopson, Principal, Health Care Industry Group Leader, Plunkett Cooney
Externship Mentors Provide Priceless Advice
Benjamin Joseph was a 3L in Spring 2021 when he had an opportunity to work with AHLA as an extern, and shares how crucial AHLA has been to his professional development.
"My externship with the Association afforded me opportunities to gain experience from the best-of-the-best in the industry and network with like-minded individuals. The Association introduced me to mentors in senior leadership like Robert Niccolini, past AHLA president, Greg Demske, Chief of Counsel to the OIG-HHS, and Kim Looney, a partner at K&L Gates's Nashville office, who has served as my go-to career advisor. These and other AHLA members provided priceless advice on how I could influence the health law world and contributed heavily to my overall development and future success." Benjamin C. Joseph, AHLA Extern 2021
Paying it Forward to the Future Generation of Lawyers
Tom Shorter has served in leadership roles on AHLA’s Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee, Labor and Employment Practice Group, the Diversity and Inclusion Council, and a variety of Board Committees, including AHLA President in 2022-2023. It is no secret that he is an advocate for the mission and values of AHLA and strives to mentor young professionals by influencing them to become leaders and speakers for health law.
“AHLA’s overall environment is education driven and collegial. I have been impressed with the caliber of health law experts at the top of their game who consistently find opportunities to learn from their peers and pay their knowledge forward to the next generation of health law leaders. Their insight and influence helped to shape who I am today. I have now provided my knowledge as a speaker at these events and strive to influence others to become future health law leaders.” Thomas N. Shorter, Partner, Husch Blackwell
The Next Generation Turning Passion into Practice
Addi Book was a JD Candidate at the University of Oklahoma College of Law when she attended AHLA’s Fundamentals of Health Law program in Chicago, IL, taking advantage of the student discount to attend.
She credits the educational sessions at the program for helping her achieve an A in her HIPAA class last semester, and cites the session on employment contracts for physicians as her favorite.
Though I am still early in my health law career, I credit AHLA for getting me here. AHLA’s publications provide me with practical insight on problems I’m facing at work and in my law classes, while their programs serve as a unique forum for networking. It is rare for early career professionals to have the opportunity to get to
know successful professionals with like-minded goals and interests. Of course, these programs also provide exceptional educational content, helping me in areas of law, like employment contracts for physicians, that I deal with daily.
Addi E Book, Licensed Legal Intern and JD
The Value of Mentoring
AHLA’s Mentoring Program is available as a benefit to all members. It fosters collegiality across experience levels and the various substantive health law practice areas. This unique online networking and career development tool helps you find and connect with other AHLA members. Your mentor or mentee can be right down the street or across the country. Saralisa Brau shares the value of mentoring.
"We all have mentors and friends and people who influence us at various points in our career. During my first job out of law school I found and connected with a group of mentors and partners who really brought me under their wing and helped introduce me to health law. They included Christine White, who is a current board member of AHLA, who has been a dear friend for many years. I worked for Chris as an associate back in the day. Other folks at McDermott I worked with included David Marx and Jim Sneed. They were all also very involved in AHLA and really first got me involved in the association as well, and ultimately had the opportunity to publish a book with David and Chris, something that David and Jim Sneed had initially worked on. We had the opportunity to come in and work on a healthcare antitrust book for AHLA and that opportunity to work with them, be guided by them, be brought into AHLA by them, and ultimately sort of work on a really substantive publication together was a really formative part of my early career in particular." Saralisa Brau, McKesson
Inspiring Impactful Leaders
Lindsay Holmes has served as Co-Chair and Chair of the Young Professionals Council, as the Young Professionals Delegate to the AHLA Board of Directors, and most recently, the AHLA Development and Advancement Council (DAC). Lindsay shares about how her experience with AHLA has furthered her career and inspired her to serve on the DAC.
From years of membership and serving in many different roles in AHLA, it has become clear to me that the time and energy you put into AHLA you get back tenfold through unmatched education and camaraderie. The DAC ensures AHLA benefits from a strong, stable, and growing revenue stream to sustain its many programs and initiatives, and it is important to me to further those goals. In joining the DAC, I aim to ensure others have access to the same AHLA resources that I’ve had. Membership in this organization has made me a better healthcare lawyer and through programs like Annual Meeting, I’ve made connections that will last a lifetime. I hope to inspire others to reflect on their own experience within AHLA and use it as motivation to learn more about the Association’s philanthropic goals and give back.
Lindsay Holmes, Amazon.com Inc
Offering Developmental Opportunities
Experience the remarkable impact of AHLA's internship program through the captivating story of Ogi Kwon. From partnering with a seasoned health law attorney to co-authoring a groundbreaking article in the renowned Journal of Health and Life Sciences Law, Ogi's transformative journey showcases the value of collaboration and diverse perspectives in navigating intricate healthcare landscapes.
"I feel fortunate to have learned the value of approaching projects with collaborative mindset early in my career." Ogi Kwon, R1RCM
Diversity and Inclusion
Provide resources and training to help identify and support a more diverse membership at all levels of our association and help grow future leaders from among those ranks.
Innovative Professional Development
Help devise more creative ways for health law professionals to improve their productivity, hone their business knowledge and legal expertise, and fortify their value in the eyes of their employers, peers, professional colleagues, and clients.
Talent Pipeline Support
Help build a robust talent pipeline across a broad and diverse section of health law professionals, leading the way to the development of future leaders, speakers, and authors that keep our members informed so we can continue to provide best-in-class service and advice to our clients and organizations.