An Examination of Medical Ethical Ligation Issues

Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.

Presented by:
The Commonwealth Medical College and Lackawanna Bar Foundation

This program examined medical ethical litigation issues through the portrayal of “The Case of Simone Langston v. Dr. Lefu Harrison written by Jonathan A. Grode and Paul W. Kaufman. The case is a civil action involving a pathologist who claims to have entered into a contract with a dying and impoverished elderly woman, Simone Langston, to obtain her mutated cancer cells. Ms. Langston’s cells offer the promise of curing cancer as well as enriching Dr. Harrison. The central issue of the case is whether Ms. Langston had the capacity to consent to selling her cancer cells to Dr. Harrison.

The organizers of this event include moderator, Michael A. Genello, Esq., President, Lackawanna Bar Foundation and Dr. Raymond A. Smego, Jr., Associate Dean for Educational Development, The Commonwealth Medical College.