Legal Nurse Consultant

A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse who possesses both medical and legal knowledge. A legal nurse consultant assists members of the legal profession and provide expert testimony in cases involving medical issues, such as malpractice, personal injury, product liability, or workers' compensation. Some legal nurse consultants provide advice about life-care planning in cases of catastrophic injury.

Legal nurse consultants offer a wide range of professional services, including interviewing clients; screening cases; analyzing records and other evidence; researching and evaluating literature; assisting in preparing and evaluating depositions; interviewing experts; and preparing exhibits for settlement hearings or trials.

For admission to the legal nurse consultant certificate program, you must be currently licensed to practice as a registered nurse and have completed 2,000 hours of clinical practice.

Prior to receiving the legal nurse consultant certificate, candidates who have not earned an associate's or bachelor's degree must have completed 60 college credits, 18 of which must be in general education distributed across at least three disciplines.

Certificate in Legal Nurse Consulting

(Minimum at Elms College: 18 credits/Minimum GPA: 2.67)

Certificate Courses (18 credits)

LEG 204 Introduction To Legal Studies I (3 credits)
LEG 206 Principles of Litigation (3 credits)
LEG 253 Torts/Personal Injury Law (3 credits)
LEG 311 Health Law (3 credits)
LEG 333 Computer Assisted Legal Research (3 credits)
LEG 465 Advanced Research and Writing (3 credits)

Note: All credits for the certificate in legal nurse consulting must be earned at Elms College or at another American Bar Association-approved program and be approved by the division chair.