Public Health Law
Concepts and Case Studies
Montrece McNeill Ransom, JD, MPH, ACC
Laura Magana Valladares, PhD, MS
“This book is very well researched, organized, documented, and referenced. The case studies are relevant to specific public health issues related to race, gender, equity, sexual orientation, poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, and chronic diseases facing U.S. populations in the 21st century. The book offers background information for professionals to try to analyze the root causes and develop public health measures to ameliorate these problems." ---Doody's Review Service, 4 stars
Public Health Law: Concepts and Case Studies is a practical textbook for students of public health and health policy with comprehensive coverage of core concepts in law across public health sectors. The text builds upon the understanding that law is a significant determinant of health while highlighting essential knowledge of legal issues and laws affecting public health outcomes. Chapters address major topics in United States public health law and take a competency-based approach influenced by models developed by the CDC’s Public Health Law Program. The book describes the most important and relevant considerations of the law through case studies and real-world examples that students and practitioners of public health need as a baseline in order to mitigate health inequities and public health threats. Written with a basis in health equity, chapters also include call-out boxes to appropriate health equity related principles and theories.
The book’s three parts explore law as a foundation for public health practice, law in everyday practice, and law as a transdisciplinary public health tool. It addresses key legal concepts such as the sources of authority in the United States legal system, constitutional foundations, limitations of authority, regulation, and litigation as they relate to public health. The most prevalent public health law topics and national public health strategies are covered in clear prose and offer guidance on the law and legal issues related to immunization, infectious disease control, chronic disease prevention and management, unintentional and intentional injury prevention, emergency law, global public health, environmental law, LGBT populations and the law, women’s reproductive health topics and more. Hypothetical case studies throughout illustrate how law impacts public health practice across a variety of settings and populations. Content on the transdisciplinary nature of public health practice spans topics such as law as a social determinant of health, the Health in All Policies initiative, legal epidemiology, law and ethics, and the scope of public health decision-making.
Insightful and practical in its approach, Public Health Law: Concepts and Case Studies provides students and public health practitioners alike with knowledge and tools for utilizing the law to advance public health goals in the communities they serve.
- Key Features:
- Includes practical, real-world case studies illustrating the intersection of law and public health in many different contexts
- Highlights health equity and social justice issues relevant to chapter topics
- Explains legal frameworks and challenging legal concepts in easy to read prose
- Highlights relevant legal issues and considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Includes access to the fully downloadable eBook as well as instructor ancillary materials such as Instructor’s Manual, PowerPoints, and Test Bank
Foreword by Georges C. Benjamin
Preface
Introduction
PART I: LAW AS THE FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE: CONCEPTS
1. The U.S. Legal System and Sources of Authority for Public Health Laws
2. Constitutional Foundations for Public Health Practice: Key Terms and Principles
3. Limitations on Public Health Authority: Exploring Preemption
4. Regulating Public Health: Administrative Law
5. Litigation and Public Health
PART II: LAW IN THE EVERYDAY PRACTICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH: CASE STUDIES
6. Vaccination Law Across the Life-Course
7. Infectious Disease Prevention and Control: Legal Frameworks
8. Public Health Law in Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
9. Intentional Injury Prevention and Control: Adolescent Sexual Violence and the Law
10. Unintentional Injury Prevention and Control: Opioid Use Disorder
11. Public Health Emergency Law
12. Global Health Law
13. The Evolution of Environmental Public Health and the Law
14. Public Health Law and American Indians and Alaska Natives
15. Public Health, LGBTQ Populations, and the Law
16. Women’s Health and the Law: Exploring Reproductive and Sexual Health
PART III: LAW: A TRANSDISCIPLINARY PUBLIC HEALTH TOOL
17. Law as a Social Determinant of Health
18. Health in All Policies
19. Introduction to Legal Epidemiology
20. Public Health Law and Ethics
21. Public Health Executive Decision-Making and the Law: Responsibilities, Strategies, and Consequences
Afterword: The Future of Public Health and the Law: Reducing the Racial Equity Gap
Glossary
Instructor eBook desk copies are available. Follow the two quick and easy steps below.
- Click the "REQUEST DESK COPY" button
- Complete the simple request form and click submit.
Upon approval, you will be granted eBook access on our Springer CONNECT platform. You will receive an email with instructions when your access is available.
All your books and their included resources will all be in one place with one log in.
Please visit our Resources for Educators page for more information.

- Release Date: August 17, 2021
- Paperback / softback
- 376 Pages
- Trim Size: 7in x 10in
- Number of Illustrations: 20
- ISBN: 9780826182036
- eBook ISBN: 9780826182043