Laura Hoffman (LLM ’10, SJD ’12)

Laura Hoffman (LLM ’10, SJD ’12) has joined Seton Hall Law School as an assistant professor of law and a faculty researcher for the Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy, where she works on the research, development, and dissemination of legal and policy analyses that informs and shapes federal and state policy to impact vulnerable populations including the disabled and children.  She will also serve as a faculty advisor for Seton Hall’s online student publication Health Law Outlook.  Prior to joining Seton Hall, Hoffman worked as a contract attorney for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, in Cleveland, Ohio, where she drafted decisions for appeals on disputes over Medicare payments for Administrative Law Judges.

Building a foundation through education
A Loyola University Chicago double-Rambler, Hoffman earned her LLM in Child and Family Law from the School of Law in 2010, and her SJD in Health Law and Policy in 2012.  Her doctoral dissertation focused on challenging the federal government to improve access to healthcare for children with autism and was published in its entirety by The John Marshall Law Review.   

Embracing the law school experience at Loyola
While a graduate student at Loyola, Hoffman served as a staff writer for Loyola’s Public Interest Law Reporter, and assisted drafting portions of the student manual for the Health Justice Project, a medical-legal clinic established by the Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy to identify and resolve social and legal issues that negatively affect the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. She also served as a research assistant for the late professor Michael Zimmer.  “Professor Zimmer was one of my greatest mentors at Loyola.  I was invited by his wife to speak at his memorial service,” says Laura Hoffman. Zimmer, who joined Loyola in 2008 and served as a member of the School of Law’s full-time faculty until his passing in 2015, also taught at Seton Hall Law School. “It’s bittersweet to be working in my first academic position at a school where my most beloved mentor once taught.”

Overcoming obstacles
Hoffman, who has been visually impaired since birth due to a genetic eye disorder, says the combination of her passion for making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities, lots of hard work, and her tenacity have guided her career. “I am thrilled to be at Seton Hall and forever grateful to Loyola for giving me a strong foundation to foster professional development.”