David Orentlicher

David Orentlicher is the Judge Jack and Lulu Lehman Professor of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) William S. Boyd School of Law, where he directs the Health Law Program. A dual graduate of Harvard Medical School (MD) and Harvard Law School (JD), he uniquely bridges legal and medical expertise in constitutional law, presidential power, and health law.

• Education: MD and JD from Harvard, 1981
• Current Role: UNLV Professor and Health Law Program Director
• Prior Academic Roles: Indiana University (Law and Medicine), University of Chicago Law School, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Princeton University

His research focuses on health law, constitutional law, and presidential powers, with particular emphasis on end-of-life decisions, healthcare access, and judicial reform. Recent work examines aid-in-dying safeguards, hospital cost containment, and comparative health law frameworks.

Key article trends include bioethics (35+ publications), constitutional challenges (15+ on Supreme Court dynamics), and health policy analysis (25+ on cost containment, reproductive rights, and organ donation). His scholarship appears in journals like New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and American Journal of Bioethics.

Scientific recognitions include:

• Top Scholar ranking in constitutional law (ScholarGPS)
• Member, American Law Institute
• Former President, American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics
• Legislative impact: Authored Nevada's AB156 (2023) on substance use treatment access