The practice of law like nursing, medicine, and other professions is becoming more specialized. If you have a child support issues or you are filing for a divorce, then you hire an attorney with experience in family law. If you have been charged with a crime, then you hire a criminal defense attorney. If you injured in a MVA then you hire a personal injury attorney. You need assistance with a will or trust, then hire a estate planning attorney.
The same is true for State Nursing Board disciplinary investigations and hearings. Hire an attorney with experience representing a nurse before the State Nursing Board.
Is a nurse a nurse a nurse? Of course not and an attorney is not an attorney is not an attorney!
This recession and the economy is taking a toll on attorneys and law practices also and you may have an attorney agree to take a State Nursing Board case out of economic necessity thinking "its just an administrative law case how difficult can it be." I was told by a Nursing Board attorney that some nurses are retaining attorneys and the attorneys don't respond or do anything to advocate on behalf of the nurse in the State Nursing Board case.
This is less likely, IMHO to happen if you hire an attorney whose bread and butter is nurse license defense, healthcare professional license defense, or administrative law. Do your research. Get online and research "nursing law" or "license defense" attorneys and nurses on google or some other search engine.
You want an attorney who can provide you with solid legal advice and counseling and representation before the State Board and this comes with years of experience. You can't pick up a book and read a website or blog and learn how to defend a nurse before the State Nursing Board because the actual representation before the Board is only part of the issue.
For example, I don't represent nurses in criminal defense matters. I could but I like limiting my practice to administrative law, nursing law, and professional nursing practice matters. I refer my clients to a criminal defense attorney(s) in their area for represention in criminal matters. Also I don't do wills, personal injury, workers comp, or tax.
Can I as a license defenese attorney draft your trust documents? Of course, but I am sure I will miss something. FYI: I didn't do our own trust documents.
Its a violation of attorney ethical canons for an attorney to take on a client and matter if the attorney is not competent. But you don't want to be in this position in the first place where you are given bad advice, bad representation, and bad counseling by an attorney and your only recourse is filing a legal malpractice civil suit or filing a grievance against the attorney with the Supreme Court.
I often hear well "Attorney B represented my sister in her divorce and we have known him and his family for years. I trusted him." I also hear "Attorney Z quoted me a reasonable fee to handle my criminal case and the State Nursing Board matter."
When you hire an attorney or law firm and make sure their area of practice, expertise, or experience i.e. the "meat and potatoes" of their law practice corresponds with the reason why you are retaining the law firm or attorney. How would you know this? Research, website, blogs, face book, linked in, referrals from a State Nursing Association, etc.
If nursing law or nursing license defense is the meat and potatoes of the law firm or an attorney's law practice it is more likely you and your case will get the deserved attention. If nursing law or nursing license defense is just a vegetable (unless its fried okra or fried squash and zucchini with red onions) on a large but ornate plate, then you and your case may be picked at, nibbled and sampled but utimately pushed to the side or pitched in the garbage. Okay, I am writing this post and I am hungry, but you get my point!
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