Charity Scott’s vision and her family’s generosity forge strong foundations for Health Law scholars that will stand the test of time.
Twenty years after founding the Center for Law, Health & Society (CLHS) at Georgia State University College of Law and co-founding the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) the legacy of the late Professor Emerita Charity Scott lives on through her countless contributions and the newly minted Charity Scott Lecture Series.

College of Law faculty members gathered at the symposium reception to celebrate the CLHS 20th anniversary and the announcement of the Charity Scott Lecture Series.
On February 15-16, 2024, CLHS and the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics (ASLME) hosted the Charity Scott Symposium and an opening reception at the College of Law.
During the reception Scott’s family, friends and colleagues shared their remarks and tributes honoring her many achievements.
Those who knew Professor Scott best describe her as a resilient and visionary woman.
“All those who spoke about Charity not only reflected on her creativity, intellect and drive, but also about her warmth and dedication to helping others. Charity took us to places we didn’t know were possible and left her mark not only at Georgia State Law, but in all the areas she worked,” said Leslie Wolf, Distinguished University Professor, Ben F. Johnson Jr. Chair in Law, and the incoming director of CLHS.
Scott’s husband, Evans Harrell, accompanied by their adult children Peter Harrell and Constance Harrell Shreckengost and other family members, revealed a generous gift that will endow the annual Charity Scott Lecture Series to honor her life and contributions to the field.
“The investment from Charity’s family will provide stable longevity for the lecture series, strengthening our position as leaders in health law education and inviting collaboration and partnerships beyond academia,” said Cass Joseph, the assistant vice president of development at Georgia State Law.
With this endowment, the College of Law will be able to attract leading scholars in health law, as well as rising stars, bringing their research and expertise directly to Georgia State Law students.
CLHS ranks No. 1 again among the 2023-2024 Best Law Schools by U.S. News & World Report. The center first achieved a No. 1 ranking in 2022. The center owes its successes to faculty who are experts in their fields and opportunities for students to immerse themselves in hands-on work with real clients, such as the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic.
Symposium of Scholars

Health Law scholars gather for the Charity Scott Symposium: Defining the Future of Health Law
Attended by health scholars from across the U.S., the symposium covered a broad range of topics including the impact of the law on bioethics, interdisciplinary teaching, health care reform and the social drivers of health in communities.
“We wanted to structure this symposium in a way that honors the wide-ranging legacy that Charity leaves behind in terms of the imprint she's had on health law,” said Erin Fuse Brown, the current director of the center and Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law. “We called the symposium ‘Defining the Future of Health Law, which sounds broad and ambitious, because Charity was broad and ambitious in her own definition of what health law is and could be.”
The symposium will serve as the theme for a special edition of ASLME’s Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. Editor Ted Hutchinson will work with contributors to publish the issue in the summer of 2024.
Professor Scott’s historic contributions to health law scholarship will echo through her impact on the health law community, an archive of scholarship contributed in her name, and in her family’s generous gift. If you would like to build on the foundation of the Charity Scott Lecture Series, you can find out more here and/or reach out to Cass Joseph for more information.
-Written by Lauren Allred