LAWS 7652 Healthcare Law and Compliance

Healthcare Law and Compliance offers the student with a personal or professional interest in the healthcare industry and/or criminal law the opportunity to develop a basic understanding of the legal framework and ethical issues involved in today's healthcare environment. The seminar will use a practical, case-study approach to some of the issues arising in the complex world of healthcare enforcement and compliance. Emphasizing the procedural mechanisms of the False Claims Act and the substantive law of the Anti-Kickback Act, the Stark Laws, the Food and Cosmetic Act, the seminar will explore the following: how prosecutors, defense attorneys, whistleblowers, and compliance officers approach their work; the relationships between regulated industries (pharmaceuticals; hospitals; doctors; medical device companies) and government insurance companies (Medicare; Medicaid); legal and ethical issues arising from the expanding edges of healthcare technology and treatment.

Course overview

Department
Law
School
LAW
Credits
3
Level
Graduate
Offered
Every Fall

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
4.23 / 5 · Very Good
51 responses
Instructor rating
4.39 / 5 · Very Good
51 responses
Terms evaluated
5
Most recent: Fall 2025

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Fall 2025Leslie Shaff4.64.64.64.64.34.54.74.54–6 hrs/week12 of 13
Fall 2024Leslie Shaff4.54.54.74.64.54.64.94.54–6 hrs/week11 of 11
Fall 2023Leslie Shaff—————————10 of 14
Fall 2022Leslie Shaff4.54.84.84.74.34.64.84.24–6 hrs/week9 of 11
Fall 2021Leslie Shaff4.14.64.44.14.64.84.74.44–6 hrs/week9 of 12

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Leslie Shaff
    Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 · Official rating 4.39/5