Judges and lawyers across the nation received a healthy dose of information this spring through trainings offered by Salus Populi, a project of the law school’s Center for Health Policy and Law and the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research at Northeastern University.

Trainings focused on providing judges with the tools they need to recognize how the social determinants of health (SDOH) impact issues that come before the courts and to read and evaluate public health research relating to SDOH. The tuition-free, interactive and discussion-oriented trainings were held for 100 lawyers and judges in Washington state and the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts, approximately two dozen judges from the North Dakota courts and 16 judges in Boston. Salus Populi also held a special program for lawyers on how social factors, including housing affordability, socioeconomic position and structural racism, are critical determinants of health for children and families.

“Each time we do these trainings, I’m inspired by the engagement of the judges and lawyers, and their deep interest in learning about how SDOH affect the litigants who come before them, as well as how courts affect the health of litigants and their communities,” said Professor Wendy Parmet, faculty director of the Center for Health Policy and Law.

Salus Populi is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which provide funds to cover the cost of travel and accommodations for program participants.