From RN BSN to Law School - How does one prepare?

[Ginger35]

I am fairly new to this web site and find it so informative. I wish I found this site a long time ago. Anyways, I am currently an RN with a bachelors degree in nursing with mostly an background in ER and case management. Currently, I am back in school for an MBA which is pretty demanding (2 yr program). After this is completed, I am seriously looking at law school, but I have absolutely no idea what kind of classes I need to prepare for law school. I know writing skills are very important - however, I don't know if the writing classes one takes for their bachelors in nursing is good enough or would one need to take some special writing courses??? The MBA program requires paper writing related to business issues, but I am not sure if this is appropriate for law either.

Those of you that are nurses that became attorneys or in law school now - could you share with me how to prepare? I would appreciate all of your insights.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

I am not an attorney, but, a legal nurse consultant. I, too, considered law school as well as medical school. I took both the mcat and lsat.

As for preparation, I suggest writing electives in conjunction with the MBA. Many individuals seeking law school have mbas and these courses prepare them for the rigorous studies in law school.

You can get some valuable information here:

Association of American Law Schools (AALS)

National association for Law Placement (NALP)

Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

[Ginger35]

Hi Siri,

Thanks for responding. I appreciate the feedback. I have looked over the the web sites you gave me and they are informative. However, what I am not clear on is exactly what kind of writing classes would be best. I have had creative writing classes, but I noticed that for the LSAT, they talk about "writing in prompt" and other styles of writing??? How many writing classes does one need to take prior to applying? Are there classes for each writing style???

Sorry if I sound "illiterate" and peppering everyone with questions. I am just trying to think ahead and plan - I guess one needs to start putting things in motion atleast 2 years prior to starting a law school cirriculum.

Looks like I have a lot of work to do......

[marissa81579]

hi,

I am a nurse and currently a law student. Legal writing is very distinctive. It is important for you to have excellent grammar skills. Other than that, you take legal writing courses in your first year of law school. That is where they will teach you how to write like a lawyer. Don't take any other writing courses in the meantime if you don't have to.

[elkpark]

I second what marissa81579 said. I lived with an ex during the process of his applying to and attending law school. He did not take any special writing courses as an undergrad, and the law schools to which he applied didn't require or expect him to have done so (he was not even a particularly great writer in general ...). The law school will teach you what they want you to know about legal writing (which is highly specialized) when you get there.

You will need to have very good basic grammar and writing skills, a competitive academic record and LSAT score, and the ability to "sell" yourself to law schools (convince them of why they should take you over the scads of other qualified applicants ...)

Best wishes with your journey!

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

Ginger -- You'll also do well to beef up your critical reading and logic skills.

For sure, you'll making constant use of those.

[marissa81579]

Have you taken the LSAT yet? That is practically ALL that matters for admission to law school. Your GPA matters, but LSAT matters more. So study and prepare for it at least a few months in advance. Read a lot also - because you have to read, read, read in law school like nothing else. Totally different mindset from medicine/nursing. The schoolwork is different and the analytical skill set is different. It is an adjustment, so be prepared for it.