Legal Nurse Consultant

A legal nurse consultant works to bridge the gap between the legal and medical fields. The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) describes these professionals as “licensed registered nurses who perform a critical analysis of clinically related issues in a variety of settings in the legal arena.” The range of employment environments includes law offices, independent practices, government agencies, patient advocacy groups, insurance companies, HMOs, consulting firms, and legal departments within the business and healthcare industries.

Legal nurse consulting is a steadily growing specialty that reflects the increasing complexity of both healthcare delivery and medical litigation. As the U.S. population ages and the healthcare system becomes increasingly fragmented, attorneys and insurers are turning to clinically trained experts who can interpret medical records, assess standards of care, and clarify causation—tasks that general legal staff are rarely equipped to perform independently.

Legal nurse consultants (LNCs) are also seeing increased demand in emerging areas such as electronic health record (EHR) audits, opioid-related litigation, long-term care cases, and healthcare compliance consulting. As more legal cases hinge on interpreting medical data accurately and efficiently, the LNC’s role is becoming not just supportive, but central to litigation strategy in many healthcare-related claims.

For those considering working at the intersection of the legal and medical fields in a dynamic, high-growth career, this guide provides a detailed discussion of the career outlook, salary prospects, and steps to becoming a legal nurse consultant.

Meet the Expert: Tamara L. Karlin-Bossier, RN, LNCC

Tamara L. Karlin‑Bossier is president-elect of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC). She earned her Legal Nurse Consultant Certification (LNCC®) in 2013 and has served in the role of both director‑at‑large and board secretary/treasurer for the AALNC.

Karlin‑Bossier is also the founder and principal consultant at Legal RN Consulting, LLC, serving both plaintiff and defense firms across personal injury, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, mass torts, and product liability since 2002. She has a broad range of diverse insurance claims experience. Her expertise includes detailed medical record analysis, chronology development, treatment standard evaluation, and teaching to support attorneys, adjusters, managers, and health professionals in case reviews, roundtables, mediations, depositions, and trials.

Prior to starting her legal nurse consulting business, Karlin‑Bossier worked as a registered nurse for 18 years in the hospital setting at level three trauma centers in high-risk labor and delivery, neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, including ambulance transport teams, developing and managing a maternal-child home health program, and in hospital management for JCAHO accreditation.

ForensicsColleges.com: What’s changed the most about the legal nurse consultant role over the course of your career?

Karlin‑Bossier: When I started in the late ’90s, legal nurse consultants mostly worked for law firms. Now, there are so many more opportunities: risk management, public defenders, forensics, and insurance companies. The role is far more recognized and valued than it used to be.

ForensicsColleges.com: What’s something you wish more people knew about legal nurse consultants?

Karlin‑Bossier: This is a niche that takes hard work, connections, and experience. You can make a great career out of it, but you have to build it.

We’re seeing new nursing grads who want to become LNCs before they’ve even worked in a hospital. But you really need that nursing experience—five years at least—to understand what you’re analyzing. We’re also seeing some for-profit LNC companies that promise nurses they can quit their job and make $150 an hour or more right away, doing LNC work, and that’s just not realistic. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.

ForensicsColleges.com: What value does an organization like AALNC provide to legal nurse consultants?

Karlin‑Bossier: I started going to AALNC meetings in Chicago back in February of 2002, and by May I had my first job. So much of this work comes through referrals and networking. With AALNC, I got education, confidence, certification, and some of the best professional and personal relationships of my life. I’ll have those forever.

Over the years, I’ve volunteered on almost every one of the AALNC’s committees. Today, we’re trying to encourage and mentor younger and mid-career LNCs, in order to keep the profession going. AALNC has been around since 1989, and we want to make sure that continues. The community and support it provides to legal nurse consultants are essential.

ForensicsColleges.com: What does the future of legal nurse consulting look like to you?

Karlin‑Bossier: I think the future’s bright. There’s more recognition, more remote jobs, and more roles for LNCs beyond traditional law firms. I still get emails from job boards every week, and I open them just to see what’s out there. You’re seeing remote roles at law firms, insurance companies—even an air ambulance company wanted an LNC to review records.

As far as technology goes, AI-generated medical summaries are everywhere now, but they can’t replace human judgment. You still need someone with years of clinical experience to interpret what actually matters in a case. Law firms and companies are really starting to see the value in having nurses on their teams, and not just for expert witness work, but for full-time, in-house consulting roles.

Legal Nurse Consultant Career Outlook

Legal nurse consultants occupy a niche career and therefore traditional data sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not provide an analysis of projected job growth in this field. That said, legal nurse consultants must become registered nurses prior to training in the legal field. Furthermore, they must be registered nurses to qualify for voluntary professional certification through the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board (ALNCCB), which is discussed below.

The BLS (2025) predicts that there will be an explosion in job opportunities for registered nurses nationwide; between 2023 and 2033, there’s expected to be a 6 percent increase in openings for RNs, much faster than the average growth anticipated across all occupations during that time (4 percent). With the addition of 197,200 fresh RN positions across the country in the coming decade, there are expected to be a wealth of opportunities in the field, including for legal nurse consultants.

Legal Nurse Consultant Salary

As mentioned above, legal nurse consultants typically become registered nurses prior to receiving legal training or seeking professional LNC certification. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the 3,282,010 RNs employed around the country had an annual average salary of $93,600 or $45.00 per hour (BLS May 2024). In more granular terms, these healthcare professionals had the following salary percentiles:

• 10th percentile – $66,030 ($31.75/hr.)
• 25th percentile – $78,610 ($37.79/hr.)
• 50th percentile (median) – $93,600 ($45.00/hr.)
• 75th percentile – $107,960 ($51.90/hr.)
• 90th percentile – $135,320 ($65.06/hr.)

Although the BLS did not have data specifically on legal nurse consultants, PayScale, a site that relies on self-reported wages, offered a breakdown of its responding LNCs. PayScale (2025) found that its LNCs made an average annual salary of $90,493 ($54.06/hr), slightly more than the BLS salary average for RNs—though it should be noted that PayScale’s small sample size (153 respondents) may skew the data at the upper and lower bounds. Experience level, geographic setting, and specialty will all factor into an LNC’s salary.

How to Become a Legal Nurse Consultant

Many aspiring legal nurse consultants choose to pursue a nursing education and RN licensure prior to their legal training. Others may get an education in criminal justice or legal studies before becoming RNs. Still others pursue an LNC certification or certificate training program. Here is one possible path to becoming a legal nurse consultant:

Step 1: Complete high school or obtain a GED (four years) – To begin, all aspiring legal nurse consultants must complete high school or obtain a GED. Furthermore, those who have an interest in working as a legal nurse consultant should also take and excel in courses focusing on science and mathematics, including those in biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, trigonometry, statistics, and related electives.

Step 2: Complete an accredited nursing program (4 years) – Upon graduation (or attainment of a GED), an aspiring legal nurse consultant must then enroll in a nursing program. At this stage, aspiring legal nurse consultants should pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Although admission standards vary, potential students should expect to submit records of ACT and/or SAT scores, official high school transcripts, personal statements (500-600 words), letters of recommendation, and an application fee. Some programs may require candidate interviews as well.

Aspiring RNs are advised to seek out nursing programs accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). In general, the curriculum for these programs will include a number of similar courses, including those in biochemistry, biology, anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, laboratory courses, as well as other science-related electives. It’s important to note that both BSN and ADN programs require hands-on clinical training.

Step 3: Pass the NCLEX and get certification as a registered nurse (up to one year) – Once an individual has successfully completed one of the aforementioned programs, he or she must register for and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which is offered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Those who pass are then eligible to receive an RN license issued by one’s State Board of Nursing and by extension, to begin work as a registered nurse. To maintain RN licensure, states typically require nurses to take continuing education and garner professional experience.

Step 4: Obtain experience as an RN (timeline varies) – After passing the NCLEX examination and becoming a registered nurse, an individual then has the ability to gain experience working in the field. The type of job available upon completion of a nursing program depends on a number of factors, including availability, connections developed during school, specialized training, and more. At this stage, it may also be advisable to begin one’s legal training either through an employer or one of many optional legal nurse consultant training programs.

Step 5: Get training in legal nurse consulting (timeline varies) – Although this step is optional, a formal education program may assist the aspiring legal nurse consultant with the transition into this field. The American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board (ALNCCB), established by AALNC, is currently the only nationally accredited certification body for legal nurse consultants. No formal legal nurse consultant education program is required to practice. Your experience as a nurse is what you need to get started.

That said, aspiring legal nurse consultants may benefit from participating in education and training programs, paralegal programs, legal seminars or conferences, or one of the legal nurse consulting courses and mentoring programs described by the AALNC. Many of these may culminate in the awarding of a certificate that demonstrates the holder’s proficiency in the field of legal nurse consulting; again, while this is not required to practice as an LNC, it may be looked upon highly by future employers. Additionally, it can help to fulfill the 2,000 hours of legal nurse consulting required to pursue voluntary national certification through the AALNC.

Step 6: Pursue national credentialing through the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board (ALNCCB) (timeline varies) – At this stage, it is optional to earn a Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC®) credential. Although it’s a voluntary credential, it may be advisable in order to enhance one’s earning and employment prospects. The ALNCCB was established by AALNC in 1997, and its LNCC® certification program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC).

To qualify, candidates must have an active RN licensure, five years of experience in nursing, and at least 2,000 hours of practice as a legal nurse consultant during the previous five years. Additionally, LNCC candidates must pass a comprehensive examination. For a detailed examination of qualifying experience, check out the ALNCCB’s Eligibility Criteria. These credentials are valid for five years and may be renewed with the submission of proof of continued RN licensure, 2,000 LNC practice hours, and either proof of 60 qualifying contact hours or a passing score on the exam.

Legal Nurse Consultant Tasks and Responsibilities

So what exactly does a legal nurse consultant do on a daily basis? And furthermore, does this vary depending on one’s industry or the workplace setting?

Naturally, not all legal nurse consultants will retain the same type of routine responsibilities over the course of their careers. There are some tasks that legal nurse consultants perform on a relatively regular basis, which include the following:

• Organizing and analyzing medical records and related litigation documents
• Conducting interviews with clients
• Assisting lawyers and legal staff in the development of case management and trial strategies
• Helping with depositions and during trial, including developing and preparing exhibits to be displayed
• Provide expert witness during a trial
• Finding and preparing evidence to be used during a trial
• Attending independent medical examinations when requested
• Acting as a liaison among lawyers, healthcare providers, experts, and clients
• Identifying standards of care as they relate to cases involving alleged medical malpractice, as well as causation and damage issues
• Assisting in the determination of the merits or potential defensibility of a case

The responsibilities of a legal nurse consultant also vary based on his or her work environment or industry. By illustration, a legal nurse consultant employed in a law firm may be asked to summarize medical records, conduct medical literature searches, communicate with expert witnesses, and prepare medical documents to be used by the attorneys throughout the course of a case. A legal nurse consultant who works at an insurance company, by contrast, may instead be asked to perform a variety of case management tasks or act as a utilization review specialist, medical bill auditor, policy development coordinator, or even a claims adjuster.

Finally, some legal nurse consultants work full-time in their roles, while others may work more traditional nursing jobs while earning extra income on the side, working hourly or part-time, providing LNC services.

In sum, the qualifications and job responsibilities of legal nurse consultants vary, and aspiring LNCs are advised to contact educational programs or industries of interest to see what they can offer.

Professional Certification and Licensure for Legal Nurse Consultants

There are two types of official recognition for a legal nurse consultant to consider: state nursing licensure and optional specialty certification.

To obtain a nursing license, nursing school graduates must pass the NCLEX exam and submit all necessary materials to the state board of nursing in the state where they will practice. Nurses should expect to submit to fingerprinting and a background check in addition to sharing clinical and educational records. Nursing licenses must be maintained through regular continuing education efforts and must typically be renewed every two years. A license in good standing is a legal requirement to act as a nurse in a clinical setting.

While certification as a Legal Nurse Consultant is not required to practice, it can enhance career opportunities, credibility, and earning potential. The Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC®) credential is offered by the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board (ALNCCB), an independent certifying body established by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC).

To be eligible for the LNCC exam, candidates must:

• Hold an active, unrestricted RN license
• Have at least five years of experience practicing as a registered nurse
• Have completed a minimum of 2,000 hours of LNC work within the past five years

The exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, and the credential is valid for five years. Recertification requires continued RN licensure, ongoing legal nurse consultant practice, and completion of qualifying continuing education or a repeat exam.