Hugh Lee

In January 2026, I began my position as Director of the Program on Ethics, Honor, and Leadership in the Institute for Public Good and as Adjunct Professor of Ethics, Law, and Policy. In many ways, these positions mark the culmination of a long career in higher education. After practicing law as a litigator for a number of years, I first taught legal writing, then directed several clinical programs and taught doctrinal courses at the University of Alabama School of Law for almost 20 years. In 2015, I accepted a dual faculty appointment at East Carolina University, teaching ethics and health policy in the medical school and pre-law courses in the political science department from 2015-2025. In that role, I served as course director for the required ethics courses taught in the first two years of medical school.

My Research Interests

My teaching and research interests lie at the intersection of law and ethics. I have presented frequently on issues related to law, ethics, and health policy, particularly as they relate to seniors. I have presented to both doctors and lawyers about the ethical rules and regulations governing practice and their interaction with ethical norms and expectations. I have written extensively on public policy issues such as health policy, housing policy, judicial practice, and comprehensive elder policy. The 17th edition of my book, Alabama Elder Law, will be published by ThomsonReuters in the Spring of 2026. It is a 1500-page treatise on laws impacting seniors. I am currently conducting a study of the North Carolina guardianship system, through a grant from the Borchard Foundation Center for Law and Aging.

Teaching

I am, first and foremost, a teacher.  I have taught a wide variety of students in higher education, including undergraduate students and graduate students in law, medicine, physician assistant studies, public administration and social work.  For my efforts at ECU, I was awarded the North Carolina Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award in 2020. In the professional world, I have presented numerous CME and CLE presentations. My teaching is a mixture of lecture and student-driven discussion, with case-based application of principles and concepts.

Personal

I am married to Dr. Chelley Alexander, Chair of Family Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Charlotte. We have three grown children, all of whom graduated from Davidson. I enjoy CrossFit, playing disc golf, reading, Davidson sports, and chasing our two dogs. An interesting fun fact about me is that I considered playing trombone professionally before attending law school and still perform regularly.