Class of 2024: JD Grad Plans Future as an Elder Law Attorney After Decade in Health Care
Working as a speech language pathologist for ten years, Katherine Barnett saw firsthand how patients often didn’t receive, and practitioners couldn’t provide, the best health care possible. During these times, Barnett felt there was little she could do in her position and wanted to find a way to optimize the benefits of health care for patients and providers.
“I thought going into health law would be a good way to do that,” said Barnett, who will receive her Juris Doctor (JD) from University of Arizona Law this spring.
Toward the end of her tenure in health care, the COVID pandemic made Barnett’s services “non-essential” to patients in the hospital where she worked, and her hours were cut. Barnett took the extra time the pandemic provided to study for the LSAT.
“Three years later, my motivation remains largely the same, but now my focus has shifted towards maximizing health care provision for older adults,” said Barnett.
She was drawn to University of Arizona Law for its nationally recognized legal writing program, its certificate program in health law and reputation as a true community where students were supportive of each other.
“I had no interest in attending a school that fostered an ultra-competitive environment—law school is challenging enough as it is,” said Barnett.
Although her time working in health care influenced her to specialize in health law, it was through the casework she completed to earn her Certificate in Aging Law & Policy that she became interested in working with older adults.
Barnette’s Student Note, “Examining Talevski: Preserving Justice for Nursing Home Residents,” published in the Arizona Law Review, one of the things she is most proud of as a law student.
Professor Tara Sklar, the faculty director of the Health Law & Policy Program and distinguished public service scholar, served as Barnette’s Student Note advisor and has had a significant impact on her legal education.
“She has been a wonderful mentor as I pursue my goal of specializing in health law,” said Barnett.
Following graduation, Barnett will take the Bar Exam in July and in August will complete a term as a federal law clerk in Phoenix.
“I am acutely aware that the older adult population is rapidly growing (adults aged 65 and over will outnumber the rest of the population by the year 2030), and this population, with its complex health care needs, will require more assistance than ever,” said Barnett. “As an elder law attorney, I hope to help this population navigate the legal complexities of health care and end-of-life planning during this pivotal and transitional phase of life.”