Amy Judd Lieberman, J.D., serves as Deputy Director, Harm Reduction Legal Project. Before joining the Network, Amy worked briefly in litigation after a fellowship with the National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Now, Amy focuses on providing legal technical assistance to community programs across the country and promoting laws and policies that allow people who use drugs to live long, healthy, and dignified lives.
Amy serves on the board of directors of the Sidewalk Project Los Angeles, a drug user- and sex worker-led syringe services program serving the unhoused community in downtown Los Angeles, in addition to providing pro bono legal consultation to other SSPs through the California Syringe Exchange Program (CASEP) Coalition.
Amy received her B.F.A from New York University and her J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law. She is barred in California and the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Overview The rate of overdose deaths in the U.S. increased sharply after the introduction of fentanyl into the illicit opioid supply. In Canada,…
Contaminants including fentanyl and fentanyl analogs are now present in the illicit drug supply throughout the U.S. Because no safe supply of most illicitly used drugs is available, helping people determine what is in the drugs they obtain can be an impactful harm reduction intervention. The easiest and most inexpensive way to accomplish this is often through use of fentanyl test strips and xylazine test strips. This resource outlines the legality of drug checking equipment in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Overview October 29, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. CTThe U.S. drug supply is constantly changing, with contaminants including fentanyl, xylazine, medetomidine, and nitazines appearing…
Overview Naloxone can save the lives of minors experiencing opioid overdose. Opioid education and naloxone distribution programs cluster around Montana’s larger cities which leaves rural…
Overview Harm reduction programs and clients face ongoing threats from law enforcement in many areas of the country. Additionally, programs and clients increasingly fear action…
Overview Drug checking services have been shown to reduce the risk of overdose by providing people with information on what is in drugs…
Overview States often have complex laws penalizing controlled substance possession, distribution, sale, manufacture, trafficking, and similar actions. Frequently, penalties for violations of these laws are…
Overview Over the past several years, state legislatures have passed a variety of laws that criminalize fentanyl-related activities in ways that are unique from other…
Overdose Good Samaritan laws can offer immunity from legal prosecution to those who seek emergency help for someone overdosing and are associated with an approximate 15 percent reduction in overdose deaths. This resource provides information on Good Samaritan laws in each of the states where they exist.
Overview December 18, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. CTHarm reduction programs and clients face ongoing threats from law enforcement in many areas of the…
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have modified their laws to increase access to naloxone, the standard first-line treatment for opioid overdose. While these laws have been successful in increasing access to this lifesaving medication, few explicitly address the legality of distributing and administering naloxone that is past its expiration date. This fact sheet discusses whether Idaho laws forbid the prescription, dispensing, distribution, possession, or administration of expired naloxone and whether medical professionals and others who take such actions might be held liable.
In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, 2025, Network attorneys and staff have identified seven policies with the potential to improve overdose prevention and advance the health of people who use drugs across the United States. This policy brief covers a wide range of areas, including well known, evidence-based harm reduction strategies and frameworks, as well as more novel policies that intersect climate change and drug policy.
