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Center for Law and the Public’s Health
at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities
Hampton House, Room 582
624 North Broadway
Baltimore, Maryland 21205-1996
(410) 955-7624; (410) 614-9055 fax
www.publichealthlaw.net
“CDC Collaborating Center Promoting Public Health Through Law”
CORE LEGAL COMPETENCIES
FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
As of September 7, 2001
A.
Introduction
This document presents a statement of Public Health Law Competencies developed by the
Center for Law and the Public’s Health at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities with
support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the
Public Health Foundation (PHF).
In the preparation of this final statement, the Center received input from a multi-disciplinary
panel of experts that convened on June 19, 2001, multiple respondents to a national electronic
survey conducted by the PHF, and several national public health and public policy organizations,
including the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the National
Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the American Public Health
Association (APHA), the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH), and the
National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL).
The Public Health Law Competencies represent a set of law-specific skills and legal knowledge
desirable for the practice of public health. These competencies are intended to serve as guides to
workforce development efforts for public health leaders who have specialized roles related to
public health law, as well as for front-line staff who need a basic understanding of the role of law
in protecting the public’s health.
Public health agencies, professional associations, universities, and continuing education programs
may find these competencies helpful in assessing professional training needs, developing training
and leadership programs, evaluating existing curricula, and improving performance related to
using and understanding public health law.
1. The