Campbell Law Spotlight: Emily Jacobson ’26
Emily Jacobson ’26 is a second-year law student at Campbell Law School. This year, the Government & Public Sector Section of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) partnered with the Zoning, Planning & Land Use Section and the Criminal Justice Section to provide joint scholarships to law students who show demonstrated interest in public service and who work in an unpaid summer internship in a federal, state or local government office in North Carolina. Jacobson received a $1,200 scholarship to support her internship with the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) Medicaid Investigations Division in summer 2024.
Following is an excerpt of a blog post entitled, “A Look Into My Internship With the NCDOJ Medicaid Investigations Division,” that Jacobson wrote for the NCBA’s website:
“I looked forward to my first summer for my entire 1L year. I frequently heard older students and mentors describe their first summers as the moment when all the pieces fell together. Heading into their second year of law school, they felt a deeper understanding and appreciation for the work they do while in school. Now, at the conclusion of my first summer and the early stages of my 2L year, I echo those sentiments.
“I spent this summer interning with the North Carolina Department of Justice Medicaid Investigations Division. MID represents the interests of the citizens of North Carolina, particularly as they relate to the health care industry. The bulk of MID’s work involves investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud; they also handle patient abuse cases in Medicaid-funded facilities across North Carolina. MID’s work is critical for protecting the integrity of the Medicaid system and guarding state and federal funds from bad actors.
“I was eager to work with MID and explore what I now know is an interesting, and often overlooked, area of law. My experience was enriching, and it allowed me to practice the skills I developed during my first year at Campbell Law. More importantly, however, this summer was the first chance I have had to engage in meaningful legal work for the benefit of my community. Since beginning law school, I have been eager to apply my developing legal skills in a practical and useful way. My internship with MID was an excellent opportunity to do so, and I am grateful I could spend my summer in this way.
“As a first-year student, I worried my first internship would be mostly comprised of busywork. Fortunately, that was never the case working with MID. My duties related to real, ongoing cases with extremely high stakes. Before starting my internship, I was somewhat familiar with Medicaid fraud investigations, but I did not realize just how widespread fraud, waste, and abuse is throughout both the Medicare and Medicaid systems. I learned about health care law, compliance, and regulatory law, and I applied that knowledge in practical ways. When new allegations of fraud or patient abuse were submitted to MID, I reviewed the intake documents and practiced making recommendations on whether to proceed. I also performed research on a variety of legal issues — including the Daubert standard for admitting expert testimony and applicable defenses — as well as issues particularly related to the health care industry, including qui tam cases, whistleblower protections, the False Claims Act, and Anti-Kickback Statute violations. I drafted and edited litigation hold letters, civil investigative demands, and complaints, gaining a greater familiarity with legal writing with each document. I also attended court hearings, criminal pleadings and sentencings, case review meetings, and interviews of subjects.”
Read the full post at this link.