To become a nurse attorney, you must be a Registered Nurse and have a law degree. Nurse attorneys are needed because lawyers who lack medical training find it difficult to provide insight into many legal healthcare issues. Nurse attorneys have the expertise to represent healthcare professionals in court, and they also advocate for better public policy regarding health and medicine. Some nurse attorneys lobby for nursing organizations or health-related causes, while others write policy papers or edit professional journals. As a nurse attorney, you could find yourself analyzing insurance claims, or acting as an expert witness in a medical legal case. The path to becoming a nurse attorney is neither short nor easy. This challenging and rewarding career requires work experience, along with two different educational paths, professional exams, and license procedures.
Nursing Steps Required
Before you begin the legal part of the process of becoming a nurse attorney, you should obtain your nursing education and work as a Registered Nurse (RN). The first step in this process is completing your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited school. After this, you will need to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Then, you will need to meet your state’s requirements to become an RN, and get clinical experience working as a nurse before you apply to law school.
Legal Education Required
After you have gained experience working as an RN, the first step in obtaining your Juris Doctor (JD) degree is taking and passing the Law School Admission Test or LSAT. The average LSAT score is about 150 on a scale of 120-180; to get into one of the top 25 law schools, you should score well above the average. Then, you will apply to and be admitted to law school. Most law degrees take three years to complete, and unlike many undergraduate programs, you will need to complete all of your law courses within the school’s time frame in order to receive your Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
Bar Exam Requirement
First, unless you live in Wisconsin or Maryland, you will need to successfully complete the Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Then, you will apply to sit for your state’s Bar Exam, and take and pass the exam. Each state’s Board of Bar Examiners determines whether or not a person who has completed a JD degree is eligible to practice law within the state. This process also includes a character and fitness evaluation, and your state may also have additional prerequisites prior to your passing the bar and becoming certified to practice law.
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Completing two different degrees, passing challenging exams, and completing licensing processes sounds like a lot of work, and it is. However, this work comes with a reward in terms of excellent salary potential and challenging, rewarding work opportunities. Nurse Journal chose Nurse Attorney as one of the best and highest-paying specialty career choices in the field. You can learn more about becoming a Nurse Attorney from The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA), which publishes position papers, creates professional opportunities, and offers conferences and provides attorney referral services. If you become a Nurse Attorney and also join TAANA, your membership will even entitle you to practice law before the United States Supreme Court.
