Lawyer Limelight Featuring Barbara Zabawa, Attorney at Law
Barbara J. Zabawa has devoted her legal career to health and wellness law. Before obtaining her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, she obtained a Master’s in Public Health degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. After participating in two different fellowships, including the coveted Skadden Fellowship, she sought to carve out a new practice area for lawyers interested in helping practitioners who want healthy lives to be the priority, rather than sickness care.
Barbara has practiced Health Law in several law firms, including her own, the Center for Health and Wellness Law. She also clerked for the Honorable Barbara B. Crabb in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. Barbara has written extensively on health and wellness law topics, such as the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, Medicaid, state licensure laws and federal employment discrimination laws. Her book, Rule the Rules of Workplace Wellness Programs (published by the American Bar Association) is used in several Wellness Law courses across the country. Her most recent book, Quick & Easy Wellness Law, is a valuable resource to wellness practitioners. She also created the Wellness Law App to provide an additional accessible and affordable legal resource for wellness practitioners.
Professor Zabawa teaches Health Law I, Health Law II, Healthcare Rights Law, and Contract Law at UMKC Law School. She is a Wisconsin native now living in the Kansas City area with her husband, twin teenagers, two dogs and two cats. She loves the idea of entrepreneurship and is happy to talk to anyone who has big dreams and ideas.
CPH Insurance is proud to work with Barbara as part of our Attorney Helpline advising insureds in Wisconsin. Read on to learn more about Barbara in our Lawyer Limelight blog series Q&A:
Q: What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
A: Carving out a new legal practice area called “Wellness Law” and being a thought leader in the space. I started Wellness Law, LLC back in 2014 after practicing as a health lawyer for a decade. I find the intersection between health law and wellness law fascinating and untapped for discovery.
Q: Where is your favorite place you have traveled to and why? Favorite vacation spot?
A: I love visiting places with a lot of history in art, architecture, cultural and political significance. So, places like Italy, or Boston, have been favorite spots so far. One day soon I’d like to get to Greece and maybe Egypt.
Q: Can you tell us about your family?
A: I have two kids (boy/girl twins who are now 20 years old), two dogs (boy/girl standard poodles), two cats (boy/girl) (notice a pattern?), and a husband of 16 years.
Q: What’s a piece of advice you’d give to any mental health professional?
A: If you feel like you are burning out, you are not alone, but you are not without options. Come talk to me.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’d recommend?
A: Yes, my two podcasts: the Wellness Law Podcast and the Lemonspark Podcast. We are always open to having guests, so if you are interested in sharing an inspiring story for Lemonspark, or have some insight into wellness ethics and compliance, please reach out!
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share? Are you working on any special projects?
A: I have created for wellness professionals a Wellness Law App, which is like having a legal expert in your back pocket. It has a number of indispensable and invaluable features, such as a 24/7 legal compliance help desk for wellness practitioners who have practice or business law related questions. I have trained and continue to monitor the AI Chatbot that provides immediate and trustworthy answers to the most pressing questions wellness practitioners often have. It also has a community chat to share ideas, questions and best practices with other like-minded wellness professionals, as well as an opportunity to meet with me once each month during our monthly zoom calls. Learn more and subscribe at www.wellnesslawapp.com. Or contact me at bzabawa@wellnesslaw.com.
