Building a world where the law protects your wellbeing.
Barbara Zabawa is a wellness law attorney, law professor, author, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of legal compliance, personal safety, and human flourishing.
One person, several callings — all pointed the same direction.
Most people meet one piece of this work at a time: a client who hires the attorney, a student who sits in the professor's classroom, a reader who picks up one of the books, a listener who finds the podcast. Few realize it's all the same throughline.
Barbara has spent over a decade defining what it means to practice law in service of wellbeing — founding Wellness Law, LLC to help wellness practitioners and organizations navigate ADA, HIPAA, and ERISA compliance, teaching the next generation of lawyers as an Associate Professor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, and writing about both legal compliance and the entrepreneurial life that comes with building something from nothing.
More recently, that mission extended beyond legal paper into the physical world: as a co-founder of Pursesuitz, Barbara helps build pocketwear designed to give women freedom, security, and peace of mind — because wellbeing isn't only a legal concept, it's something you should feel in your body, every day.
"Wellness is not only about the law. It's about feeling secure — legally, physically, and personally — wherever you are."
A track record you can verify.
Barbara speaks nationally on wellness law, compliance, and entrepreneurship. A selection of past and upcoming engagements is below, each linked to its source.
Health Law Professors Conference — speaker profile
Health Law Professors Conference
Wellness Alliance national conference
Workplace wellness compliance and program design
IFEBP — International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Legal determinants of wellness for employers
Articles, essays, and conversations.
Longer-form writing on law, wellness, and entrepreneurship lives on Substack. Select pieces and guest perspectives are featured here.
Why "wellness law" had to become its own field
On defining a legal practice area that didn't exist a decade ago — and why the gap mattered.
Read on Substack →Featured voices from the wellness and wellbeing world
Conversations and reprinted pieces from colleagues across health, media, and advocacy — shared with permission.
Pitch a piece →On building something from nothing
Entrepreneurship, purpose, and the unglamorous middle — themes from The Tug.
See the book →Subscribe on Substack
New essays on law, wellbeing, and entrepreneurship, sent directly to your inbox.
The Wellness Law Podcast
Conversations with leaders, practitioners, and innovators shaping the future of health, wellness, and the law that governs it.
Pursesuitz: wellness you can wear.
Wellness isn't only a legal concept — it's personal safety wherever you are. As co-founder of Pursesuitz, Barbara helps build pocketwear that lets women keep their essentials secure and their hands free, without sacrificing style.
- No bags, no problem — built for venues with bag restrictions
- Keeps valuables close and hands-free, from travel to everyday errands
- Designed by and for women who wanted pockets that actually work
Published works.
Quick & Easy Wellness Law
A practical primer on the legal essentials of running a wellness business.
View on Amazon →Rule the Rules of Workplace Wellness
Published by the American Bar Association — compliance guidance for employer wellness programs.
View at ABA →The Tug: Finding Purpose & Joy through Entrepreneurship
A personal account of building a business — and a life — around purpose.
Learn more →Boards, partnerships & affiliations.
Free and member tools.
Wellness Practitioner Code of Ethics
A free standards-of-practice resource for wellness practitioners.
Get the resourceWellness Legal Essentials course
A self-paced course covering the legal basics every wellness business needs.
Explore the courseDo I need a license to practice? (video)
A short video walking through licensure questions for wellness practitioners.
Watch nowWellness Law products & templates
Legal document templates and compliance tools for wellness businesses.
Browse productsLet's talk.
For speaking inquiries, media requests, partnership ideas, or just to say hello — reach out directly.
This site shares information about Barbara Zabawa's work as a speaker, author, professor, and entrepreneur. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. For legal services, visit wellnesslaw.com.