Hugh M. Lee, JD

Teaching Professor
252-744-2179
leehu14@ecu.edu

Hugh M. Lee joined the Department of Bioethics and Interdisciplinary Studies in January 2015. Prof. Lee holds a B.A. from Davidson College and a J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law. Prior to joining the Department, Prof. Lee taught for 19 years at the University of Alabama School of Law, where he taught a variety of courses over his career, including the Elder Law Clinic, the Civil Clinic, and the Foreclosure Relief Clinic. As the result of his special interest in elder and disability law, he directed the Elder Law Clinic, served on the Executive Committee for the Center for Mental Health and Aging, and taught in the graduate school and Department of Psychology on issues related to aging. In addition, he served on the board of several aging advocacy groups, served on the Executive Committee of the Elder Law Section of the Alabama State Bar, and won grants from the Administration on Aging, the Alabama Department of Senior Services and the Alabama Attorney General’s office.

Prof. Lee has published extensively in the areas of elder law, including Alabama Elder Law – an extensive treatise published by West Publishing Company and used widely by Alabama attorneys. His numerous articles include articles addressing incapacity, advance planning, surrogate decision-making, elder law and policy, foreclosure, and election law. He has presented at state and national conferences on issues affecting the elderly and has produced training materials for state and local aging advocates. For his work, Mr. Lee received the Alabama State Bar’s Association’s Pro Bono Award and its President’s Award.

Since coming to East Carolina, Prof. Lee has taught in the School of Medicine, the School of Arts and Sciences, and in the School of Allied Health. Most recently, he has presented on long-term care insurance, the future of Medicaid and Medicare, the intersection of law and ethics, and the legality of COVID-19 emergency measures. His areas of particular interest are patient autonomy, surrogate decision-making, aging and medical decision-making, end-of-life care, and the intersection between law and medicine and law and ethics. Since July 2021, Professor Lee has been serving as Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs (Foundational Sciences) for Brody School of Medicine.