Trying to find a mal practice lawyer to talk to ER residency program

[La Fiera]

So I've been trying to find a lawyer to speak at our weekly emergency medicine conference about malpractice and what we as residents should know before we get out on our own.
I'm in the New York City area, and don't know anyone willing to do any pro-bono work for the benefit of future physicians. I hate that the medical field has gotten so litiginous, but I never learned anything about it in med school and really think some knowledge of malpractise is unfortunately becoming necessary.
So does anyone have any advice (short of picking up a phone book and calling several law firms) on who or how I might be able to get to give a lecture on the subject? Or even if you could throw out some reputable malpractise firms at least I could start calling the right people!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Winged Scapula]

So I've been trying to find a lawyer to speak at our weekly emergency medicine conference about malpractice and what we as residents should know before we get out on our own.
I'm in the New York City area, and don't know anyone willing to do any pro-bono work for the benefit of future physicians. I hate that the medical field has gotten so litiginous, but I never learned anything about it in med school and really think some knowledge of malpractise is unfortunately becoming necessary.
So does anyone have any advice (short of picking up a phone book and calling several law firms) on who or how I might be able to get to give a lecture on the subject? Or even if you could throw out some reputable malpractise firms at least I could start calling the right people!

Your hospital has a Risk Management Department and a team of lawyers to defend your attendings (and residents if named in a suit). I'd start there.

 

[southerndoc]

There is a physician/attorney on faculty at Yale. Just an hour up the road from you.

 

[Law2Doc]

So I've been trying to find a lawyer to speak at our weekly emergency medicine conference about malpractice and what we as residents should know before we get out on our own.
I'm in the New York City area, and don't know anyone willing to do any pro-bono work for the benefit of future physicians. I hate that the medical field has gotten so litiginous, but I never learned anything about it in med school and really think some knowledge of malpractise is unfortunately becoming necessary.
So does anyone have any advice (short of picking up a phone book and calling several law firms) on who or how I might be able to get to give a lecture on the subject? Or even if you could throw out some reputable malpractise firms at least I could start calling the right people!

There are tons of lawyers happy to speak to EM physicians -- speaking is a good source of advertising for lawyers, but it will be a hard sell to find folks looking for "pro bono work" (if that is what you really mean). EM physicians are not poor. Pro bono is what lawyers take on to help poor people or causes. If you are just looking for a free speaker that wouldn't be what you'd call pro bono work. And it will be easy to find -- I'd probably start with lawyers you know in the area. If nobody knows any lawyers, email the NY City bar association and see whether they can recommend someone. Young hungry lawyers love speaking opportunities that might lead to business. But nobody is going to be seeking pro bono work for well paid doctors, so if you contemplate them doing free work beyond a speech, don't bet on it.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

My first thought was the same as WS. Your hospital has a team of lawyers that defend you guys. Ask one of them and they will be happy to speak. Just make a call to risk management and they'll help you. No reason to go outside the "family" for a speaker when there are plenty in house.

 

[TysonCook]

I just organized a 3 day symposium for our department at Carolinas:
1) Day one was a person from our Risk Mgt team: She was not an attorney, but she brought the 10 most recent "Sentinel Events" in the ED, what happened, why, and corrective measures. Very good lecture and very relavent.
2) Day two was a defense lawyer that represents our hospital. Call the risk mgt team and they will direct you to the JD that does the work. They should be very willing to speak w/you as you can make their jobs very easy or very hard.
3) Day three, I had a plaintiff's attny come speak to the class and go over what they look at and what they do and why/who comes in and wants to sue, what they sue for and what a plaintiffs attny does in general. They were a personal friend, but if you send out a general email to all the residents/attendings, I guarantee that someone knows someone that will come speak.

I also gave a lecture earlier in the year based on the recent med mal data.

Overall, start w/your risk mgt team at the hospital, and talk w/your dept chair, they will also have good resources.