As a medical lawyer, also called a health or healthcare lawyer, you would be an attorney whose work centers on the legal aspects of the healthcare industry. The table below outlines the most common pros and cons of being a medical lawyer.
You would provide administrative support to lawyers, which may include duties such as conducting research and drafting documents.
Regulatory law pertains to government imposed standards, guidelines and protocols in the healthcare industry. Intellectual property law involves legal entitlements and/or ownership of items such as medical patents and inventions. Corporate and nonprofit law centers on the business management of healthcare. Salary Info.
You may also be responsible for conducting legal research and preparing documents. Specialization. Stanford University reports that you may choose to focus on specific aspects of healthcare law , including medical ethics, intellectual property, regulatory law and corporate/nonprofit law.
Lawyers specializing in medical malpractice cases must have both a bachelor's and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited university. Once you have completed your bachelor's degree, you must study for and pass the LSAT examination in order to apply for law schools.
After obtaining your JD degree, you must complete the steps to be recognized as a licensed attorney in any state you wish to practice. The licensing requirements vary by state, but they all involve the completion of the relevant bar examination.
Though not required, board certification is available through the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (ABPLA). This certification is used to confirm the attorney's proficiency in medical malpractice law. Potential clients sometimes look to certification to verify a lawyer's experience and relevant background in medical cases.
To land your first job in a medical malpractice law firm, you should consider signifying your interest in health law by taking related courses as part of your JD degree. You could also intern for other medical malpractice attorneys before graduation to learn the relevant skills.
In 2019, PayScale.com estimated the median annual salary for medical malpractice lawyers at $95,000. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track medical malpractice lawyers independently, they are included under the category for all lawyers. The BLS projects an 6% increase in job opportunities for this category between 2018 and 2028.
A medical lawyer is more often referred to as a medical malpractice lawyer. These lawyers specialize in representing patients or family members of patients who experience medical malpractice and have lasting effects afterward.
A medical lawyer can have many responsibilities that contribute to winning cases for people who experience medical malpractice. Here are some of the most common job duties that a medical lawyer can have:
A medical lawyer typically needs a strong set of technical skills in legal concepts and soft skills that can help them in various areas of their job.
The most common work environment for a medical lawyer is an office, as they spend much of their time taking meetings, conducting research and preparing paperwork. However, many medical lawyers travel frequently so that they can visit clients either at their homes or in medical facilities.
Here are some of the qualifications that medical lawyers typically need to fulfill in order to work in the field:
Providing emergency advice to healthcare professionals dealing with immediate and challenging situations. Being involved in alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation. Acting as an independent expert witness for claimant or defence solicitor firms.
Being involved in alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation. Acting as an independent expert witness for claimant or defence solicitor firms. Handling non-clinical claims, such as those involving staff members or visitors who have been injured on hospital grounds.
Dr. Fiona Dogan is both a GMC-registered doctor and Medico-Legal Services Manager for an NHS Trust, and is currently undertaking the Capsticks Diploma in Clinical Risk and Claims Management. She has always enjoyed writing, and regularly seeks ways to combine her creativity with her medical knowledge. Her published articles include 'Physicians & Magicians: A Magical Education in Life, Death, Power, Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts’ (BMJ Medical Humanities, 2015).
Someone contemplating a career as a lawyer should conduct research on the legal field to gauge whether he or she would enjoy life as a lawyer, attorneys suggest.
Once a person has determined that the legal profession is a good fit, he or she should start seeking out academic and extracurricular experiences that will prepare him or her to be a great lawyer.
Though most U.S. states require licensed attorneys to have a law degree, there are states such as California and Vermont where it is possible to become a lawyer without attending law school if the person spends several years working and training under the supervision of a practicing attorney.
Because law schools do not require specific undergraduate coursework, potential attorneys have the flexibility to take the college courses that interest them most.
What Law School Applicants Should Know About the Many Types of Lawyers. ]
Some law schools are highly selective, so applicants to those schools should keep that in mind when preparing their applications. J.D. admissions officers will consider not only a candidate's GPA and test score, but also his or her personal statement and resume.
In order to practice law in the U.S., an aspiring attorney generally must pass the bar exam in the jurisdiction where he or she intends to practice. However, the state of Wisconsin exempts local graduates of Wisconsin law schools that are approved by the American Bar Association from its bar exam, and it automatically admits those J.D.