The University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law is thrilled to announce the first ever Wellness Law Symposium and Call for Papers to be published in the UMKC Law Review in conjunction with the symposium. “Wellness Law” is a legal practice specialty that combines elements from labor and employment law, employee benefits and tax law, food and drug law, and health law. Lawyers who practice wellness law serve a growing wellness industry. A survey by McKinsey & Company (McKinsey) shows wellness as a major priority for American consumers, who spend more than $450 billion annually on wellness products and services, and that number will increase at more than five percent per year.
The symposium will be held on Friday, October 3, 2025, in-person at UMKC Law School. Possible topics on which participants may write or present include, but are not limited to:
- Nutritional Supplements/FDA Regulation
- Alternative Health Care Providers and Therapies (naturopaths, acupuncture, massage therapy, homeopathy) and State Efforts to Regulate
- State Licensure (or lack thereof) of Wellness Practitioners
- HIPAA/Data Privacy and Wellness
- Employer Wellness Efforts
- Wellness Law vs. Health Care Law
- Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA), FDA, State Laws and Wellness Influencer Misrepresentations
- Wellness Deductions and the Federal Tax Code
- Workplace Wellness Program Lawsuits
- Wellness Discrimination and Bias
- Illegal Substances and Wellness (i.e., psychedelics, cannabis)
- The Regulation of Wellness Devices (such as wearables and apps)
- Private Equity Investment in Wellness Products and Services vs. Health Care
- Lack of Wellness Research Regulation (informed consent, lack of evidence-based trials, poorly designed studies)
- Abusive or Harmful Business Practices by Wellness Practitioners
- Empowered Wellness Consumers vs. Vulnerable Health Care Patients and Appropriate Legal Protections for Each
- First Amendment Protection (Free Speech and/or Exercise of Religion) for Unlicensed Wellness Practitioners
- The Connection Between Wellness Practitioner Stigma and Lack of Legal Attention
- The Rise of Wellness as a Response to Heavy Health Care Regulation
For those who are selected to write a law review article for the UMKC Law Review symposium edition, the final draft will be due by July 31, 2025. Approximately five articles will be selected for publication in the law review. Travel funds may be available for those who do not have access to an institutional travel budget.
Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words by March 28, 2025, by filling out this Google Form. Any questions can be directed to Professor Barbara Zabawa at bzabawa@umkc.edu.
We look forward to reviewing your submissions!
Wellness Law Symposium Committee Members:
- Barbara Zabawa, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law
- Leah Fowler, University of Houston Law Center
- Jennifer Oliva, Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law
- Nathan Cortez, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
