On June 1st, 2024, Mary Beth Quaranta Morrissey, PhD, JD, MPH, assumed the role of Chair of the New York State Bar Association Health Law Section. The Health Law Section comprises over 900 New York State attorneys who are engaged in the practice of health law across the state.

Dr. Morrissey moves into this role after serving in numerous leadership roles both in the Health Law Section and in the wider New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). Concentrating her practice in health and public health law, Dr. Morrissey has served as past Chair of the Section’s Public Health Law Committee and in multiple officer roles, as well as chair of several statewide NYSBA Task Forces, including most recently the NYSBA Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying. During the pandemic, she chaired several COVID Task Forces charged with examining a range of legal and public health issues, including mandatory vaccination.

During her term as Health Law Section Chair, Mary Beth is prioritizing maternal health. The next Health Law Journal issue will be devoted to the current public health crisis of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States and calls for action. 

Under Mary Beth’s leadership, the Health Law Section will also be examining the crisis of opioid addiction. Dr. Timothy Conley of the WSSW faculty will be working with Dr. Morrissey on this project. 

In her career at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Dr. Morrissey holds the appointment of Associate Professor and Director of the PhD Program in Social Welfare Policy. She is a well-known gerontological health scholar and policy expert on a diverse range of issues including immigration; healthcare decision making; long-term care; hospice, palliative and end-of-life care; and elder abuse. She also holds leadership roles in the New York City Bar Association, the American Psychological Association, The Gerontological Society of America, and the New York State Society on Aging.