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Kelly Gillespie, RN, JD, PhD

Professor; Center for Health Law Studies
School of Law

Secondary Appointment
Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics


Education

PhD in Health Care Ethics, Saint Louis University (2015)
Juris Doctorate (certificate in health care law), Saint Louis University (2004)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Saint Louis University School (1991)

Practice Areas

Kelly Gillespie is an expert on health law, ethics, and policy and researches and writes on issues related to public health policy, drug use and controlled substances prescribing, pandemic ethics, and health inequities and discrimination. 

Publications and Media Placements

Her work has been published in law and interdisciplinary journals including the Cato Supreme Court Review, Arizona State Law Review, American Journal of Bioethics, Journal of Addiction Medicine, and others. She is the co-editor and author of several chapters in “Prescription Drug Diversion and Pain: History, Policy, and Treatment”, published by Oxford University Press. Throughout her career, she has been interviewed by many media outlets, including The New York TimesThe Washington Post, the Associated Press, Blomberg, STAT News, LAW360, Vice.com, and NPR.

Professional Organizations and Associations

Gillespie is the co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Opioid Crisis Task Force and has co-authored two amici briefs before the United States Supreme Court in Ruan v U.S. regarding criminal distribution under The Controlled Substances Act as applied to prescribers.