ABOUT JAN MARIE
FOUNDER & CREATOR OF CLFN
Janice Dolnick, Jan Marie, started legal forensic nursing in 2009, before most nurses had heard of it. When she saw that no training existed for the kind of work she was doing, she built it herself.
In 2015, the Institute of Legal Nursing & Forensic Science was born.
HER STORY
Jan Marie is a nurse, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of the Institute for Legal Nursing and Forensic Science. For more than 17 years, she has helped nurses discover opportunities beyond the bedside while showing attorneys how clinical insight can change the trajectory of a case.
Her story did not begin in a courtroom. It began in the same place many nurses find themselves today- exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering if there was supposed to be more to life than surviving another shift.
After years in healthcare, she witnessed firsthand what nurses sacrifice every day. Missed holidays. Missed family moments. Emotional exhaustion. Talented professionals giving everything they had to everyone except themselves.
One Christmas Day shift became a turning point. While caring for patients and spending another holiday away from family, Jan realized she had a choice: continue accepting the life she had or build something different.
That decision led her into legal nurse consulting and eventually into creating a specialized approach known as legal forensic nursing. What started as a personal search for freedom grew into a mission. Today, her message remains simple: you are not stuck. Your experience matters.
Burnt Out Nurse to Entrepreneur
Why Her Approach Is Different
Jan Marie's training is not built around what sounds good in a course outline. It is built around what attorneys actually respond to, because she spent years working directly with legal teams before she ever taught a single nurse.
Nationally Featured Casework & Public Presence
Jan Marie's case work has included nationally featured matters covered on Good Morning America and Dateline. Her interdisciplinary case experience involved direct collaboration with investigators, attorneys, and accident reconstruction specialists across both local and international criminal matters, including murder trials.
Jan Marie Says What Other Program Creators Will Not
If you have been researching legal forensic nursing online, you have probably run into competing opinions about credentials, accreditation, and who the authority is in this field. Jan Marie has been openly discussing how this industry actually operates for over a decade, including the fact that no governing body exists, no program is externally accredited, and that what attorneys actually pay for is competency, not a title.
She built what she could not find.
PUBLISHED AUTHOR
CLFN Framework
Jan Marie has published multiple books on legal forensic nursing, putting her framework into writing for nurses who want to understand the field before they commit to training.
Building the Defense (Order on Amazon: HERE)
Crush it
Scrap the Scrubs
Charting New Paths
Learn More for $0
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![Screenshot of a message from Brittany praising Certified Legal Forensic Nurse community program for its support, structure, and community environment.]()
— Brittany L.
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![Screenshot of a Skool comment by Kayla expressing appreciation for real-life practice cases in learning, highlighting the value of hands-on experience, community support, and active participation in her ILNFS learning community.]()
— Kayla G.
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![Screenshot of a Skool comment from Katie expressing her positive experience with Institute for Legal Nursing & Forensic Science program, mentioning her initial skepticism, supportive team, and her excitement for future opportunities as a CLFN.]()
— Katie L.
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![Screenshot of Skool post with a message of gratitude of CLFN program after student being hesitant in joining at first.]()
— Paige J.
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![Social media post from Maria in a general discussion group, indicating a job opportunity involving a county court office, checks, and direct deposit setup.]()
— Maria C.
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![Screenshot of Skool post by Institute for Legal Nursing & Forensic Science student showing gratitude of program and getting attorney client.]()
— Paige J.
