We are thrilled to have two great student interns who have just completed their first year of law school and are spending this summer working on a range of health access legal projects at NoHLA – Niloofar Irani and Rachel Khadivi.

Niloofar Irani is a second-year law student at Seattle University. Niloofar attended UCLA and worked with JusticeCorps as an undergraduate; this AmeriCorps national service program provided her with hands-on experience assisting individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds who struggled to resolve crucial legal matters affecting their family, housing, personal safety, and financial stability. She witnessed abundant behavioral health disparities within the justice system strengthening her commitment to addressing health needs through legal channels.

This summer she is working on projects involving analysis of proposed rulemaking by the Health Care Authority,  and a legal memorandum on language access protections for health care patients in Washington. Niloofar is excited to assist NoHLA in improving access to health care for all Washington residents.

Rachel Khadivi is a rising 2L at the University of Washington whose interest in health care law stems from her desire to address issues of equity and inclusion in the health care system. Prior to attending law school, Rachel worked as a non-attorney advocate helping individuals through the process of getting approved for Social Security Disability benefits, including representing them at administrative hearings. 

So far this summer, Rachel has worked on projects focused on consumer rights and protections. She is currently comparing existing state and new federal balance billing protections and drafting comments to appropriate state and federal agencies advocating for stronger consumer safeguards. She is also updating legal self-help materials related to Medicaid billing practices to ensure Medicaid recipients are aware of their rights and can avoid unnecessary medical debt.