The American Bar Association defines a paralegal as a person "who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible." In this context, a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) Paralegal augments his or her substantive legal knowledge with specialized nursing education and experience. The LNC Paralegal Certificate is designed for registered nurses who hold an associate or baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited institution. The program provides students the same core legal education all paralegal students receive, along with specialized courses directed toward medical issues in the practice of law.It prepares students to work with lawyers providing medical expertise to law firms, health care institutions, insurance companies, government agencies, and other organizations handling legal matters associated with health care; disabilities, physical or mental injury, or death; medical credentialing, licensing, or privileges; workers' compensation; or medical benefits. The program is approved by the American Bar Association.

Note: Students obtaining a certificate are not authorized to provide direct legal services to the public. The program offers training for paraprofessionals who are authorized to perform substantive legal work under the supervision of a licensed attorney. The program does not train lawyers. Students completing the program may wish to sit for the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants Certification Exam accredited by the American Board of Nursing Specialties. The program is not accredited as a nursing specialty.

Students who complete this program will:

1. Produce superior university-level written documents and oral reports.
2. Identify and accurately apply the rules of professional ethics governing lawyers and nonlawyer staff, and the rules governing the unauthorized practice of law in Alaska.
3. Interpret and accurately apply legal terminology and foundational principles of substantive and procedural law in the analysis of legal issues.
4. Develop and execute legal and medical research plans using law and medical library resources and commonly used legal and medical research databases.
5. Synthesize primary and secondary legal authorities and draft memoranda of legal analysis.
6. Prepare legal investigation/discovery plans and draft legal pleadings that conform to the rules of civil procedure and incorporate standard techniques and resources for managing a case in litigation.
7. Integrate substantive principles of law and medical/clinical practice in the analysis of medical evidence.
8. Formulate theories of injury causation pursuant to accepted principles of forensic nursing.
9. Construct from the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) Code of Ethics and Conduct, the AALNC's Scope and Standards of Practice, and the Alaska Bar Association's Rules of Professional Responsibility coherent principles of ethical practice for the Legal Nurse Consultant Paralegal.

2012-2013 Program Information

2012-2013 Advising Sheet

Undergraduate Legal Studies program catalog copy
JUST - Justice catalog course descriptions
LEGL - Legal Studies catalog course descriptions
LNC - Legal Nurse Consultant Paralegal catalog course descriptions

Legal Studies Exit Exam

The Legal Studies Exit Exam is a graduation requirement for the Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) Paralegal Certificate program. The examination will only be administered twice in a given semester. Students who plan to graduate in the fall or spring semester should contact the Justice Center at 786-1810 to reserve a seat. Summer graduates will need to schedule a date to take the required exam the previous spring semester.

In order to participate, students must apply for graduation prior to the scheduled exam date.

In fall 2013, the Exit Exam will be scheduled twice in November. Check back here during the semester for exam dates/times - TBA