Biography

David Orentlicher is the Cobeaga Law Firm Professor of Law and director of the UNLV Health Law Program. Nationally recognized for his expertise in health law and constitutional law, Orentlicher has testified before Congress, had his scholarship cited by the U.S. Supreme Court, and has served on many national, state, and local commissions.

Orentlicher came to UNLV Law from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and Indiana University School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Law Institute and a former president of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics. Additionally, Orentlicher previously directed the American Medical Association's Division of Medical Ethics, where he drafted the AMA’s first patient’s bill of rights and many other guidelines relied upon by courts and government agencies, and he has practiced both law and medicine.

Orentlicher has published numerous articles and essays on a wide range of topics, including health care reform, physician aid in dying, reproductive decisions, affirmative action, and presidential power. His work has appeared in leading professional journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), as well as in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, CNN Opinion, the Chicago Tribune, and other major newspapers.