Health Law and Policy Program

FIRST PLACE

Kate Bock
University of North Carolina School of Law
Paper title: "Abortion Access for Incarcerated People Post-Dobbs: The Eighth Amendment Argument"

SECOND PLACE

Lauren Rutkowski
Seton Hall University School of Law
Paper title: "'Resulting From' Unclear Language: Why Congress Must Amend the Anti-Kickback Statute to Clarify Its Intent to Hold Violators Accountable and Recover Fraud-Based Payments"

Third Place

Katie Cohen
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Paper title: "Unpacking a Damaging Trifecta: The Inflation Reduction Act as a Case Study into Health Policy’s Structural Constraints"

honorable Mention

David Edholm
University of Minnesota Law School
Paper title: "No Orphan Left Behind: A Novel Approach to the Orphan Drug Act Incentive Scheme"

AJ Custard

AJ Custard has over 3 years of professional experience implementing and interpreting various healthcare statutes and regulations. Additionally, both his clerkship and educational experiences conducting legal analysis contributes to his overall knowledge of the federal healthcare system. Mr. Custard has significant experience in providing administrative and legal support to 501(c)(3) organizations that focus on vulnerable populations, such as Veterans and children. Currently, he supports the Office of Regulatory and Administrative Affairs (ORAA) at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in response to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) High Risk Series Report of February 2015, with the goal of VHA removal from the GAO High Risk List. In this role he oversees and manages a large portfolio of VHA policy documents throughout the national policy review process, from drafting through publication, and serves as the primary point of contact between ORAA and VHA program offices. 

Stefanie Doyle

Stefanie Doyle is an Associate at Baker Donelson. Ms. Doyle has an in-depth understanding of the federal rulemaking process, which she uses to her clients' benefit by guiding them as they seek to understand, comply with, and influence regulations. Her background in government relations, as a federal judicial law clerk, and as a law clerk with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services equips her to evaluate clients' regulatory and litigation needs. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Ms. Doyle served as a health policy analyst for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists where she specialized in seeking to influence the statutes and regulations governing the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid program.  Prior to beginning her legal career, Ms. Doyle served as director of government relations for the District of Columbia Hospital Association and earned a master's degree in public health. She graduated from American University Washington College of Law in 2014. 

Jacob Harper

Jacob Harper is a Partner at Morgan Lewis in Washington, DC. Mr. Harper advises stakeholders across the healthcare industry, including hospitals, health systems, large physician group practices, practice management companies, hospices, chain pharmacies, manufacturers, and private equity clients, on an array of healthcare regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters. His practice focuses on compliance, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement matters, self-disclosures to and negotiations with OIG and CMS, internal investigations, provider mergers and acquisitions, and appeals before the PRRB, OMHA, and the Medicare Appeals Council. Before joining Morgan Lewis, Mr. Harper served as a law clerk at OIG and as a senior litigation paralegal at a national healthcare law firm, where he focused on fraud, abuse, and reimbursement matters. He is also a Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist through the American Medical Billing Association. He graduated with his JD from American University Washington College of Law in 2013.

Garrett Mannchen

Garrett Mannchen is an attorney at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the General Counsel. In that role, Mr. Mannchen represents the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in federal district court litigation.  His portfolio includes challenges to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, reimbursement for prescription drugs under Medicare Part B and Part D, decisions of the Provider Reimbursement Review Board, and Medicaid section 1115 demonstration projects.  Before joining HHS, Mr. Mannchen clerked for Judge Roger Wollman on the U.S. Court of Appeals or the Eighth Circuit. Mr. Mannchen is a 2015 summa cum laude graduate of American University Washington College of Law.

Alexis Rose

Alexis Rose is a data privacy and compliance attorney. Her work with clients includes a variety of industries, including health care and life science clients, to build their data privacy and security programs. Ms. Rose’s prior experience includes working at Octillo, Beckage PLLC, and as a compliance consultant for health care providers. While in that role, she advised clients on Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and Office of Inspector General (OIG) regulations and requirements.  She worked with clients who were under Corporate Integrity Agreements or subject to CMS and OIG audits. While in law school, she was a policy intern for HHS OCR and the DC Department of Health. Ms. Rose attended Rutgers University for undergrad, has a Master in Public Policy degree from American University, and graduated with her law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 2018. She is a member of the District of Columbia bar and has a Certification in Healthcare Compliance from the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA).

Chris Smith

Chris Smith is Senior Counsel in the Health Care & Life Sciences and Litigation & Business Disputes practices, in the Washington, DC, office of Epstein Becker Green. His practice focuses on pharmacy law, drug distribution, and reimbursement issues. Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Mr. Smith worked as a Director of Federal Public Policy at a nonprofit trade association that advocates for pro-patient and pro-pharmacy public policy and as a Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at a national trade association representing the pharmacist owners, managers, and employees of independent community pharmacies nationwide. He also has a lobbying certificate from the Association of Government Relations Professionals.  He holds an LL.M. from American University Washington College of Law's Program on Law and Government, a JD from Vanderbilt Law School, and a BA from the University of Richmond.

Alexandra Spratt

Alexandra (Alex) Spratt is Director, Commercial Sector Prices at Arnold Ventures. Her work includes the identification of robust philanthropic opportunities, policy research and analysis, and stakeholder engagement and communications efforts aimed at advancing lower prices across the health care system. Prior to joining Arnold Ventures, Ms. Spratt was a senior policy analyst at CapView Strategies, a boutique health policy consulting firm in Washington, D.C., where she primarily focused on Medicare and Medicaid payment and delivery reform and alternative payment models, health reform, and drug pricing. During law school, she interned on Capitol Hill, in the Maryland Senate, and at several policy and advocacy organizations focused on health care and women’s issues. Ms. Spratt graduated from American University Washington College of Law in 2015 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida.

Jessica Winslow

Jessica Winslow is an Associate in the Employers and Health Services practice groups at Groom Law Group.  She advises both health insurers and large plan sponsors on a variety of health law matters, including issues arising under ERISA, the Affordable Care Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, COBRA, and HIPAA.  In her work at Groom Law Group, Jessica helps employers with health plan design and compliance.  She also assists employer plan sponsors and insurers with government investigations. While in law school, she served as a member of the Administrative Law Review.  She is currently licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and Colorado. Ms. Winslow received her law degree, magna cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law in 2018, holds a B.S. in Psychology from Utah State University, and worked as a social worker prior to entering law school.