ABSTRACT
Contents Objectives ................................................................................................................................. 68 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 68 Structure of Law Firm Personnel ............................................................................................... 69 Delegation ................................................................................................................................. 70 Management of a Law Firm ...................................................................................................... 71 Mission and Work of the Law Firm ........................................................................................... 71 Culture and Politics of the Law Firm ......................................................................................... 72 Economics of the Law Firm ....................................................................................................... 73 Fees and Costs in Litigation ...................................................................................................... 73 Fees and Productivity Measurements in Defense Firms ...............................................................74 Fees and Productivity Measurements in Plaintiff Firms .............................................................. 75 Client Base ................................................................................................................................ 77 Screening Cases ......................................................................................................................... 77 Cost Containment .................................................................................................................... 77 Timely Resolution of Cases ....................................................................................................... 77
Objectives To describe the variable structure of law fi rms, types of legal services provided, management, ◾ and task delegation To describe the possible personnel in a law fi rm and their roles in carrying out the mission ◾ and work of the fi rm To describe the variable culture and politics of law fi rms as they relate to the role of an ◾ in-house legal nurse consultant To explain by example the fees, costs, and productivity measurements in plaintiff and defense ◾ fi rms and how they impact the role of the in-house LNC To identify in detail the role of the in-house LNC in the delivery of high-quality legal services ◾ at defense and plaintiff fi rms To identify the essential skills and personality traits of successful in-house LNCs ◾ To identify the key practice and ethical issues impacting in-house LNCs ◾ To discuss compensation and benefi ts packages for in-house LNCs ◾
Introduction Th e role of a legal nurse consultant (LNC) in a law fi rm may vary considerably, depending on the location and size of the fi rm, the nature of the work that is done, whether the fi rm does primarily defense or plaintiff work, whether the fi rm has had prior experience working with an LNC, and the extent to which a particular legal community uses and values LNCs. In most areas of the country that utilize LNCs, the responsibilities of the LNC in a law fi rm have evolved signifi cantly over the past 20-25 years. Now, most LNCs not only participate in the organization, review, and
Th e Role of an In-House LNC .................................................................................................. 78 Market Expectations for LNC Salaries and Benefi ts ................................................................... 83 Skills of the Successful In-House LNC ...................................................................................... 83 Writing...................................................................................................................................... 84 Medical Literature Research ...................................................................................................... 84 Teaching .................................................................................................................................... 84 Analytical Skill ...........................................................................................................................85 Organization ..............................................................................................................................85 Prioritizing ................................................................................................................................ 86 Computer Skills ........................................................................................................................ 86 Other Attributes of the Successful In-House LNC .................................................................... 87
Personality Traits............................................................................................................... 87 Prior Clinical Practice ....................................................................................................... 88
Professional LNC Responsibilities and Practice Issues................................................................ 88 Mentoring ........................................................................................................................ 88 Practice Development ....................................................................................................... 88
Ethical and Scope of Practice Considerations ............................................................................ 88 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 89 References ................................................................................................................................. 89 Test Questions ........................................................................................................................... 90 Appendix: Legal Nurse Consultant Position Description ............................................................91
