Breaking Down Legal Barriers to Healing.

After returning home from chemotherapy, a MedStar Health patient discovered that her landlord had not paid the water bill and her service was about to be shut off. To keep the water running, the utility company told her she would need to pay the entire building’s bill. Meanwhile, her building was also in foreclosure. On top of undergoing cancer treatment, she suddenly faced the loss of stable housing.

The MedStar Health Cancer Legal Assistance and Wellbeing (Cancer LAW) Project team intervened quickly to help her navigate the crisis. The attorneys helped the patient assert her rights and secure a settlement, enabling her to move into a new apartment, with the assistance of movers and funds to furnish her new home. What began as a housing crisis ended with housing stability—and a renewed focus on her recovery. 

The Cancer LAW Project is a medical-legal partnership within the Georgetown University Health Justice Alliance, which places specialized attorneys within healthcare teams that serve patients and families at the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

Launched in 2020, Cancer LAW provides no-cost legal services to help cancer patients resolve legal issues directly affecting their health, including unsafe housing, utility shutoffs, evictions, workplace accommodations, short-term disability and unemployment benefits, and access to public benefits. As part of the Cancer LAW Project, clinical staff are trained to recognize when a patient's needs—such as rushing to return to work to avoid being fired—signal a legal issue and refer them for assistance.

"While a cancer diagnosis is typically a patient's top health priority, it often has to compete with other immediate, existential crises such as eviction notices, job loss, and food insecurity," explains Allison Dowling, medical-legal partnership director at the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. "When facing such competing priorities, it becomes profoundly difficult for a patient to focus on their cancer treatment."

Building on the success of Cancer LAW, the Perinatal Legal Assistance & Wellbeing (P-LAW) Project was launched in 2021 to support pregnant and postpartum patients receiving care at MedStar Washington. P-LAW predominantly serves Black patients, who often experience higher rates of health complications, such as gestational diabetes, hypertension and preterm delivery. This work is especially urgent in D.C., where rates of maternal and infant death are among the highest in the nation, and the rate of infant mortality and stillborn deliveries to Black mothers is four times higher than that of white mothers.

"It is a matter of health equity and justice," says S. Roxana "Roxy" Richardson, a P-LAW attorney. "Many negative maternal and infant health outcomes are linked to structural, social, and environmental variables, which are disproportionately experienced by historically marginalized communities."

P-LAW attorneys collaborate with MedStar Washington’s Women's and Infants' Services (WIS) to identify patient needs during prenatal, third trimester, and postpartum visits. WIS connects patients with resources, such as Women, Infants & Children (WIC) benefits, transportation to medical visits, and support for substance use disorders, while P-LAW provides legal screening, advice, and representation to remove additional barriers to care.

Cancer LAW and P-LAW build upon relationships between patients, providers, and social workers, creating a safe and trusted space that encourages patients to share underlying issues that may have potential legal implications. When legal challenges are addressed, patients often report decreased stress, improved ability to focus on care, and greater financial stability.

"By reaching clients through existing trusted relationships with their healthcare providers, we can identify and address legal needs before they become crises," says Dowling.

Ultimately, these partnerships ensure patients can direct their energy where it matters most—toward healing.