The following is the 10-month curriculum of
the Legal Nurse Consultant Program. The LNC students will take classes
as one intensive weekend module per month bridged with distance learning.
Classes are held on Friday from 6pm to 10 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 6
pm, and Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm. A total of 20 credit hours are required
to graduate from the program.
Courses are taught by experienced
legal and medical professionals.
Orientation
Module I: LNC Practice - This module will cover the
following subject matter: Intro to LNC is a panel of practicing LNC’s
currently in practice from various aspects of the profession, including
law firms, corporations, and alternative sources, along with legal assistant
managers, speak to the students as to the various career possibilities
within the profession and the requirements for practice in those areas.
Students are afforded a round- table type of discussion with these professionals
to address issues of interest; legal ethics ties together a variety of
ethical considerations discussed in the substantive legal classes. The
instructor also will review ethical issues that have emerged with regard
to the non-lawyer profession, including the unauthorized practice of law,
and will discuss the laws and codes applicable to non-lawyer professionals.
Students will be made aware of the interaction of law office procedures
and ethical considerations; legal software; marketing, career opportunities,
practice environments, career paths, small business development, accreditation,
and “professional package,” ; with interviewing techniques,
cover letter and resume writing techniques, and job market and marketing
techniques.
Module II: Foundations - This module will cover the
following subject matter: Legal case analysis; the legal & court system;
contracts; and torts. This course will provide a basic overview of contractual
law and an introduction to the UCC with the intent of providing a foundation
in contract law that will support the student in more advanced classes.
The class has an emphasis on drafting contracts that would be useful to
the legal nurse consultant. This course instructs the students in the
nature and organization of the American judicial system and teaches the
art of case briefing. Additionally, this course will provide a basic overview
of tort law with the intent of providing a foundation in tort law and
will have an emphasis on tort issues that are useful to the legal nurse
consultant.
Module III: Civil Litigation I -This module will cover
the following subject matter: Key aspects of the Rules of Civil Procedure
and the Rules of Evidence; hands-on exercises and assignments that engage
students in the pre-trial and trial process; a personal injury fact pattern
will be utilized to make the class of greater usefulness to the legal
nurse consultant student; students will interview clients and witnesses,
prepare interrogatories, prepare witnesses for and conduct mock depositions
and prepare exhibits.
Module IV: Civil Litigation II -This module will cover
the following subject matter: Substantive law that drive most of the civil
litigation in which legal nurse consultants are utilized; personal injury,
products liability, professional negligence (primarily medical malpractice),
toxic torts and class actions: introduction to the basic principles in
each area of the law from both a plaintiff and a defense perspective;
in the area of medical malpractice there will be intensive discussion/presentation
on standards of care (including how to handle conflicting standards of
care.
Module V: Health Care & Insurance Law - This module
will cover the following subject matter: Health care and insurance industries;
the structure of the health care system, including informed consent, medical
ethics, hospital staff privileges, physician/nursing licensure, foregoing
and terminating treatment, elder law, managed care and needs certification,
and fee-for- service and managed care models; insurance policies, carriers
and statutory provisions relating to the insurance industry, risk management,
the role of the LNC in the insurance industry and risk management, insurance
issues as they impact litigation and damages.
Module VI: Workers’ Compensation - This module
will cover the following subject matter: This is a survey course intended
to familiarize students with the substantive workers’ compensation
and social security law of Ohio. Practical examples are used in this course
to illustrate points and identify issues. The skills that are emphasized
include obtaining information that is relevant to the frequently encountered
issues in workers’ compensation claims. In addition, this course
includes an overview of the administration of the Ohio system as to information
relevant and necessary for the processing of a claim, client intake information,
calculation of benefits, and appropriate forms for filing various claims.
Social Security claims, benefit programs, hearings, appeal process, and
claims are also addressed.
Module VII: Medical Research & Records -This module
will cover the following subject matter: This course will focus on medical/factual
research and writing and issues related to medical records. There will
be a comprehensive overview the process of medical research and presentation
of the compiled research data. There will also be a comprehensive presentation
of medical databases, grandfather & authoritative texts, medical standards
of care, non-medical standards of care, professional organizations, and
on-line research techniques. Other topics covered will include the nurse
as deponent and researching expert witnesses. This module will have a
heavy component of students performing online medical research.
Module VIII: Legal Research & Writing I - This
module will cover the following subject matter: A review fundamentals
of grammar, syntax, and style; processes to encourage students to enlarge
their active vocabulary; methods and techniques to assist the students
in developing a clear and concise writing style; and an introduction to
the legal style of writing. There will be a brief introduction to various
legal research tools and terms.
Module IX: Legal Research & Writing II - This module
will cover the following subject matter: A comprehensive presentation
of the process of legal research and the various tools used to accomplish
this process; techniques to develop the student's ability to perform legal
research and to apply research to various legal documents; an introduction
to various legal documents and the process for their preparation; practical
application of legal research & writing skills and actual preparation
of legal documents such as letters, deposition summaries, and legal memoranda
and motions.
Module X: LNC Practicum - This module will cover the
following subject matter: Using a medical malpractice fact pattern, this
practicum will teach the skills of analyzing medical records and producing
a chronology(ies) (a record summary in chronological order) for the attorney;
researching and preparing a report on an expert (both your own and opposing
counsel’s expert); preparing the expert for deposition and trial;
preparing a report on standards of care for use by the attorney; handling
yourself as an expert witness (mock direct and cross examination); preparing
a damages package; the LNC’s role in ADR/settlement.
Module XI: ELECTIVE – NOT REQUIRED – cost
is the clock hour rate Developing a Web Site, Web site Marketing &
Expert Witness This module will cover the following subject matter: How
to develop your free-lance consulting business; how to create a business
plan; how to obtain business fund/loans; professional resources; marketing
strategies & methods; home-based consulting practice; independent
practices/partnerships; professional negligence insurance; technology
for the consultant’s office/home practice; web based marketing;
and how to market yourself as an expert witness.