Biography
Debbie F. Freitas joins Boston University School of Law’s faculty as a part-time Lecturer in the Health Justice Practicum. She is a partner at Freitas & Freitas, LLP in Lowell, Massachusetts. She has been in practice for over 13 years, having served as both a staff attorney at CPCS and in private practice. Her practice concentrates primarily on holistically representing indigent parents, children, and young adults in complex criminal and civil trial and appellate cases, as well as school discipline and special education matters. She is a former co-chair and council member of the Massachusetts Bar Association Juvenile and Child Welfare Section and a council member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Section of the MBA, co-chair of the Middlesex Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) Dually-Involved Youth Subcommittee, Executive Committee member of the Lawrence Bar Association, Board of Director member of the Greater Lowell Bar Association, Steering Committee member of the CPCS CAFL Racial Justice Task Force, member of the Youth Defenders Dismantling Racism (YDDR) committee, and member of the SJC Court Improvement Program’s Training Committee. She has also provided commentary for the Boston Globe, WBUR/NPR, Commonwealth Magazine, WGBH News, and The New York Times. Ms. Freitas has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University, a Juris Doctorate from Northeastern University School of Law and Master of Public Health from Tufts University School of Medicine.
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Courses
Health Justice Practicum: LAW JD 893
2 credits
The Health Justice Practicum is a new one-semester, two-credit course enrolling a maximum of six students. Students will collaborate with frontline health care providers who serve marginalized populations on projects that require legal and problem-solving skills and where providers and/or patients have identified a systemic problem affecting patients' health and wellbeing. In Spring 2022, we will be collaborating with Project RESPECT, an integrated obstetrics, addiction medicine, and behavioral health clinic at Boston Medical Center that serves low-income pregnant and parenting people in recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs), especially opioid use disorders (OUDs). Project RESPECT providers have identified a problem in Massachusetts law that significantly harms low-income parents in recovery from SUDs and their children, disproportionately harming Black, Indigenous, or other people of color (BIPOC) families. Children born to women in evidence-based medication-assisted recovery (e.g., methadone treatment) must be reported at birth to the Department of Children and Families as if the mother were actively using drugs. Children born to BIPOC mothers are more likely than children born to white mothers both to be reported to child protection authorities and to be separated from their families as a result. The trauma of custody disruption has demonstrated serious effects on both recovering parents and child health and development. We will explore and advocate for possible legal and policy advocacy solutions to these issues--for example, changes in mandatory reporting laws and reformed child protection agency practices to eliminate discriminatory decisionmaking. Students will attend group meetings as well as work on research and advocacy. The project work will allow students to hone their research, analytical, writing, presentation, and problem-solving skills. Regular group meetings will deepen students' understanding of their projects by providing a broader context. Students will also meet individually or in teams with the faculty supervisor to discuss their project work. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option.
FALL 2024: LAW JD 893 A1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 893 B1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
Supervised Research and Writing: LAW JD 841
Var credits
Upper-class students may pursue a special research interest under the guidance of a full time faculty member, and earn one or two semester credits for a Supervised Research and Writing project (also known as an Independent Study). The study must involve a substantial investment of time and effort, and result in significant written work that reflects a high standard of legal scholarship. The student's final grade will be based solely upon written work submitted, and will be included in the student's average. NOTE: Students must register for Supervised Research and Writing directly with the Registrar's Office. You may not register via the Student Link.
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 A1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 B1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 B2 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 C1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 C2 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 D1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 E1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 F1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 G1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 H1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 I1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 J1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 K1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 M1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 M2 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 N1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 O1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 P1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 R1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 S1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 S2 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 T1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 T2 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 V1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 W1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 Z1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 Z2 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 A1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 B1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 B3 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 C1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 C2 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 D1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 D2 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 E1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 F1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 F2 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 G1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 H1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 I1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 J1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 K1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 L1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 L2 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 M1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 N1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 P1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 R1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 S1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 T1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 U1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 V1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 W1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 841 Y1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025
