The Law/Med Forum is a project of the Louis M. Brown Program in Preventive Law at the California Western School of Law. The Forum is intended to foster a dialogue between lawyers and health care professionals on topics of mutual interest. We seek to establish a respectful, non-accusatory, informal sharing of views. The hope is that those whose primary discourse is legal will come to understand better the assumptions, values, and constraints of the medical community, and vice-versa. This stronger dialogue will help prevent the misunderstanding and mistrust that may lead to legal actions within the health care setting. We hope also that research ideas can be stimulated or advanced.

Topics that have been, or are projected to be discussed:

1. Reporting of medical errors, and alternatives for reducing medical
mistakes 

2. Decisions at the end of life

3. Hospitalization of the mentally ill

4. Informed consent

5. Managed care incentive systems for physicians, versus particularized
review of treatment decisions

6. Cultural aspects of physician decision making

7. The remediation of medical accidents

8. The role of the law in patient/physician trust

9. Medical risk assessment--has it failed and if so why?

10. The differing methods and cultures of medical and legal education

11. Food and drug law (including biotech issues, pharmaceutical
development, and intellectual property)

12. Future directives

The Law/Med Forum is held periodically in San Diego.  If you would like more information about becoming involved with the Forum, please contact Thomas D. Barton.