Medical-Legal Partnerships
By Hena Mehta, Sheehan Scholar Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) are collaborations of attorneys and healthcare professionals to provide patients and clients with results that address their social needs. The premise behind an MLP is simple: healthcare workers provide their patients with effective treatment for their medical illnesses while attorneys address clients’ legal problems that negatively interfere with their health. By strengthening the connection between healthcare and law, MLPs create a streamlined method for clients and patients experiencing legal barriers in their complex medical treatment or related independent issues to have on-site attorneys and expert health professionals involved in their care plan.