Loyola Law Clinic Launches Medical Legal Partnership with Manning Family Children's to Support Patients and Families
NEW ORLEANS – Loyola University New Orleans College of Law’s Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Manning Family Children’s are proud to announce the launch of its Medical Legal Partnership (MLP), an innovative collaboration between health care providers and civil legal services designed to address the legal needs of family stability, child well-being, and health outcomes.
This MLP integrates legal services into health care settings to address civil legal issues that often cause medical and social concerns, including unsafe housing, access to public benefits, educational stability, family law matters, and other social determinants of health. By addressing these issues early, MLPs serve as a preventive intervention that can reduce unnecessary child welfare involvement and support stronger, healthier families.
“Families often face legal barriers that directly affect their ability to meet their children’s basic needs,” said Davida Finger, Clinic Professor and Loyola Law Clinic Director. “Through this Medical Legal Partnership, we are able to intervene earlier, collaborate across disciplines, and help families resolve issues before they escalate into crises.”
“We are honored to partner with Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic to launch this impactful Medical Legal Partnership, providing free legal services to patient families,” said Lou Fragoso, President and CEO of Manning Family Children’s. “By removing barriers to legal support, we’re helping to ensure that families already navigating the complexities of medical care are not burdened with additional challenges. This partnership reflects Manning Family Children’s commitment to provide comprehensive care not just for the patient, but for the whole family during their time of need and beyond.”
A critical part of this MLP model includes a public health and analysis component. Harvard Law School’s Access to Justice Lab will provide survey and assessment tools through a randomized control study model to evaluate whether families with children who face poverty-related legal and social challenges can avoid unnecessary entries into the child welfare system with the assistance of holistic legal services – a combination of social worker services and a traditional attorney-client relationship.
"The Medical Legal Partnership with Loyola Law Clinic is an incredible addition to the patient and family centered care we provide at Manning Family Children's,” said Manning Family Children’s Dr. Kayla Phelps. “Our families will now be able to access legal support to help them overcome everyday obstacles in our society that keep children from reaching their fullest health potential."
The MLP began serving families in January and will focus on patient needs at Manning Family Children’s at no cost to eligible families. Emily Aucoin, JD ‘20, will serve as the MLP’s managing attorney with support from the Louisiana Bar Foundation. The partnership is funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, please contact mlp@loyno.edu or 504-861-5479.
About Manning Family Children’s:
Manning Family Children’s is a 263-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Manning Family Children’s offers a comprehensive array of specialized pediatric services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, Children’s operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Children’s offers primary care at 18 convenient locations, along with a network of statewide pediatric affiliations. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeview Hospital, and Lakeside Hospital. Learn more at manningchildrens.org.
About Loyola University New Orleans College of Law:
Since 1914, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law has been educating future members of the Bar to be skilled advocates and sensitive counselors-at-law in the Jesuit tradition of academic rigor, pursuit of justice, and service to others. The College of Law offers both civil law and common law curricula for full time day and part-time evening programs. Our community of scholars is committed to academic excellence in teaching and scholarship, as well as service for others. Learn more at law.loyno.edu.
Contact: Beth Carter, Marketing and Communications Specialist, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, elcarte1@loyno.edu, 225-302-0152
Kristen Robinson, Vice President of Marketing and Institutional Advancement, Manning Family Children's, kristen.robinson@lcmchealth.org, 504-896-9373