Category: Digital Advocate
Ensuring Due Process in Healthcare Professional Licensure Adjudications by Bryan A. Nickels
Administrative contested case proceedings in Idaho have evolved rapidly over the last few years through the creation of the Office of Administrative Hearings ("OAH”), the rollout of the new Idaho Rules of Administrative Procedure (“IRAP”), and the new updates to…
Read Full ArticleNavigating the Idaho Patient Act and Medical Liens: Protecting Patients and Supporting Providers by Thomas J. Mortell and Jean E. Schroeder
Healthcare providers in Idaho save lives every day, yet securing payment for their crucial services involves navigating complex legal frameworks under the Idaho Patient Act (IPA) and updated medical lien laws. The IPA was signed into law in 2020[i] and…
Read Full ArticleParsing the Policy: A Healthcare Attorney’s Guide to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and State Medicaid Reform by Chelsea E. Kidney
On July 4, 2025, Public Law 119-21, often referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (“OBBBA”) was signed into law. The OBBBA’s subject matter, vast and far reaching, largely focuses on tax reform, immigration, and environmental protection repeals. The…
Read Full ArticleThe Idaho State Bar & Idaho Law Foundation Anniversary: The 1990s by Hon. Jessica M. Lorello
In the September issue of The Advocate, Chris Graham, author of the article on the 1980s, closed with an invitation to “bring on the 1990s!”[i] I accept that invitation! On the national stage, the 1990s featured the end of the…
Read Full ArticleCommissioner’s Column: Ethics, Fiduciary Duties, and a Call for Mentors by Frederick J. Hahn III
Law schools have historically excelled at teaching the law. By the time students graduate and sit for the bar exam, they often know more black-letter law—contracts, torts, constitutional law—than they ever will again. Yet, knowing the law is not the…
Read Full ArticleABA Delegate Report: 2025 ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto by R. Jonathan Shirts
Michelle A. Behnke, President of the ABA, welcomes the delegates to the conference in Toronto. This year’s ABA Annual Meeting was held in the beautiful city of Toronto, Ontario.[i] The meetings were held in the historic Fairmont Royal York, directly…
Read Full ArticleThe Turning Tide on Medicalized Gender Interventions for Kids by Rep. Bruce Skaug
In 2023, in the wake of a mental health crisis among America’s youth and an exponential rise in gender clinics pushing medical interventions to alter children’s bodies in response to gender dysphoria,[1] Idaho enacted the Vulnerable Child Protection Act.[2] As…
Read Full ArticleHow Attorneys Can Think About Artificial Intelligence by Will Fletcher
Imagine the future of legal practice: A potential client calls about representation for injuries from an automobile accident. But instead of a human answering the phone, the person speaks with an “AI intake specialist,” a form of artificial intelligence (“AI”)[1]…
Read Full ArticleEnvironmental Enforcement: When EPA Comes Knocking by Krista K. McIntyre and Wade C. Foster
Introduction There is significant skepticism about EPA’s inspection and enforcement activities in the current administration. Certainly, EPA’s priorities shifted after the second inauguration of President Trump; however, EPA is still flexing its enforcement muscle. This is particularly true for…
Read Full ArticleThe End to NEPA Nitpicking? By Jeffrey S. Beelaert
Whenever a federal agency proposes a project on federal land in Idaho, there is a good chance that the project will face a legal challenge under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). That should come as no surprise. Thousands of…
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