such factors are not exactly conducive to pursuing a profession which demands the strongest of English speaking and writing skills. I went on to graduate from Rutgers University with a degree in Psychology Summa Cum Laude and was named ‘Most Outstanding Student in Psychology’. My plan was to go on to earn a PhD degree and become a clinical psychologist. However, my husband and I had to relocate to Michigan so that he could complete his residency in emergency medicine. As a result, I put my graduate school plans on hold. I worked as a social worker in a skilled nursing facility during that time. However, soon after, my husband convinced me that I should give law school a try. The rest then, as they say, is history. I graduated from Rutgers School of Law at the top of my class and was admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1999. I worked as an associate at two different law firms before ending up at a large firm’s satellite office in Princeton, New Jersey. As it turns out, that job set up the trajectory for the rest of my career focusing on a unique and fascinating niche area of law – health data privacy. When I started my job in Princeton, the federal law of HIPAA had just been enacted and its related regulations were brand new. For two years straight, I was assigned almost exclusively to matters which required detailed and comprehensive analysis of HIPAA. I was also required to research and analyse state laws which intersected with HIPAA, as well as other federal privacy laws. I quickly became the firm’s ‘go-to’ attorney for any legal issues involving privacy and health information. Around 2005, health information technology really started to take off. First, there was a massive push to transition medical records from paper to electronic health records. Next came initial efforts to connect providers, patients and their electronic medical information through internet-supported networks. I was fortunate to be ideally positioned as a privacy expert at the forefront of this transformation. On 13 May 2008, I was appointed by Governor Corzine to serve a twoyear term on the New Jersey Health Information Technology Commission which was charged with developing a statewide health information technology plan for New Jersey. My role was to fill a seat reserved for “an attorney practicing in this State with demonstrated expertise in health privacy issues”. In 2010, I was reappointed by Governor Christie to serve a second two-year term and became Chair of the Commission’s Privacy Subcommittee. In February of 2010, I left the law firm I had been at for nearly eight years to start my own boutique law practice, Attorneys at Oscislawski LLC. I now have the privilege of working with clients across the entire United States and advising them on how to manoeuvre their businesses through data privacy 16 LAWYER MONTHLY AUGUST 2023 For two years straight, I was assigned almost exclusively to matters which required detailed and comprehensive analysis of HIPAA.
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