James G. Hodge, Jr., J.D., LL.M., is the director of the Network’s Western Region Office. He is the Peter Kiewit Foundation Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Center for Public Health Law and Policy, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University. Through scholarship, teaching, and projects, Professor Hodge delves into multiple areas of health law, public health law, global health law, ethics, and human rights. He has published more than 275 articles in journals of law, medicine, public health and bioethics; 2 books in public health law (including Public Health Law in a Nutshell (4th ed. 2021); 25 book chapters; dozens of reports; and guest edited 4 symposium issues.

He is listed among the Top 20 Most-Cited Health Law Scholars in Web of Science (2013-2017) and is ranked among the top 1% of all downloaded authors in the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). The recipient of the 2006 Henrik L. Blum Award for Excellence in Health Policy from the American Public Health Association, Professor Hodge has drafted (with others) several public health law reform initiatives including the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act. His diverse, funded projects include work on (1) emergency legal preparedness; (2) health impact assessments; (3) health information privacy; and (4) vaccination laws and policies. His work on these and other topics has been cited in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, US News & World Report, Time, Newsweek, Forbes, Atlantic, NBC News, CNN, Politico, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bloomberg News, among others, as well as journals including Science, JAMA, NEJM, and AJPH. During the COVID-19 pandemic alone, Professor Hodge was cited or quoted in over 600 print and online media sources.

Articles & Resources

Guidance: State COVID-19 Emergency Declarations

GuidanceCOVID-19Emergency Legal Preparedness and Response

January 13, 2023
by Erica White, James G. Hodge, Jr. and Jennifer Piatt

Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, every state, most territories, hundreds of tribal governments, and thousands of municipalities have declared various levels of emergencies. This document provides a comprehensive snapshot of the current status of various state-level emergency declarations issued in response to COVID-19 based on data provided by the National Governors Association, the Network for Public Health Law, and other sources.

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Affirmative Action and Public Health Repercussions

Fact SheetLegislation and Legal ChallengesEducationMechanisms for Advancing Health Equity

December 15, 2022
by James G. Hodge, Jr.

This issue brief highlights select ways in which race and ethnicity are historically or currently used as public health decision-making or allocation factors in programs, research, funding, or workforce issues in the U.S. through (I) federal laws, (II) federal programs and agencies, and (III) select state laws in California and Florida.

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Are Nonprofits Liable for the Actions of Medical Contacts Shared with Emergency Volunteer Registration Systems?

Law & Policy InsightsMechanisms for Advancing Public Health

August 10, 2021
by James G. Hodge, Jr.

Nonprofit membership organizations representing specific medical specialists like ER doctors, nurses, and mental health counselors are often asked by managers of volunteer registration systems to share names of members willing to provide assistance during public emergencies. While these registries are an important vehicle for mobilizing specialists during a crisis, the question arises as to whether the organization providing the names of individuals for the registry might be liable if harm is caused as a result of the actions taken by the volunteers whose names they submitted.

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