In November, Salus Populi hosted a group of judges and lawyers at the law school for a training session on how the social determinants of health impact the lives of individuals and families who end up in court.
Photo by Michael Manning
Salus Populi Receives $1 Million Grant
Northeastern Law’s Center for Health Policy and Law (CHPL), in collaboration with Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences’ Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research, has received $1 million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to support and expand upon Salus Populi, the nation’s first education program for judges that provides critical information about the social determinants of health. RWJF played a central role in funding the launch of Salus Populi in 2020 and renewed its support in 2022. This additional funding will allow Salus Populi to expand the program’s reach, including the development of a course for judges on racism and health equity in collaboration with Northeastern Law’s Center for Law, Equity and Race (CLEAR). “This major award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in addition to its past generous support of Salus Populi, speaks to the critical role our program plays in educating the nation’s judiciary about how the social determinants of health impact so many of the individuals and families who end up in courtrooms,” said Professor Wendy E. Parmet, CHPL faculty director and co-principal investigator of Salus Populi. CLEAR Managing Director Deborah Jackson will work with CHPL to develop the new course. Professor Margaret Burnham will serve as advisor to the course development team
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Professor Margaret Burnham was recently honored with the prestigious Equity Award by the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts.
“Today, if we are on our knees, we need to rise up and resist regressive efforts. And optimism serves as the fuel for a continued and successful campaign to recruit others to join in. As you enter the profession, I hope that you will find ways to join in this effort, even if it is in small ways.” Ralph C. Martin II ’78 told the more than 200 JD, LLM and MLS students who graduated on May 2, 2025, in Matthews Arena.
