From Prescription Pads to Legal Briefs

Lisa Prainito will combine her career as a pharmacist with her newly acquired law degree

After dedicating two decades to her career as a pharmacist and building her own successful pharmacy business, Lisa chose to pursue her lifelong dream of practicing law. While balancing the responsibilities of managing her pharmacy and raising three daughters, she enrolled in Touro Law's FlexTime JD program, demonstrating remarkable determination and time management skills. Now, Lisa is poised to enter the specialized field of pharmacy law, where her extensive pharmaceutical expertise, business ownership experience, and newly acquired legal knowledge will create a powerful professional synergy. Her journey represents an inspiring example of how it's never too late to pursue one's aspirations, even while maintaining existing professional and family commitments.

Why did you decide to go to law school? Did you take a typical path, or are you considered a non-traditional law student?
It was my dream to be a lawyer. I was a member of the mock trial team in college and always wanted to go to law school with my teammates. However, I was already enrolled in pharmacy school and chose to finish the program, get my degree, and begin my career as a pharmacist. I decided to take the LSAT during COVID and was accepted to Touro Law’s FlexTime Program. I became a pharmacist over 20 years ago and am now graduating law school at 45 years old.

Are you going to try to blend pharmacy and law? Do you feel your career as a pharmacist prepared you for law school?
Being a pharmacist definitely prepared me for law school. I manage my own pharmacy, and am in charge of legal compliance. I read through contracts all the time. There is a lot of paperwork and never-ending insurance requirements to meet to stay in business. I do not consider graduating from law school a career change. I decided to go to law school to expand my knowledge of the law and hopefully take what I learn and apply it to my pharmacy and other pharmacies. I am looking to stay in pharmacy law to improve the pharmacy profession.

Were you nervous to go back and reinvent yourself through law school? What gave you the courage to follow your dream?
Of course I was nervous! No one is thrilled about the prospect of exams, but I was excited to learn about the law. Law affects everyone and every aspect of business. My daughters truly inspired me to attend law school. I am watching my three daughters grow into incredible young ladies of whom I am so proud. I always tell them to reach for the stars and follow their dreams. I chose to follow my dream, so that one day, they would be proud of me and know they can do the same.

What did you find most surprising during your law school journey?
I was surprised to meet many students with similar backgrounds. I have become friends with many students who are professionals and own businesses. In my cohort, there were many motivated individuals who worked full time and still found time to study and prepare for class. The FlexTime Program is an amazing opportunity for anyone who cannot attend law school as a traditional student.

What did you like the most about your time at Touro Law?
I loved everything about my time at Touro Law. From Sunday classes to my summer internship, I loved every minute. Since finishing in December, I miss getting up and driving to class and seeing my friends. I miss eating lunch with my cohort. Sometimes even our professors would join us. I miss school activities, such as ice-cream day or breakfast for lunch during finals week. Most of all, I loved learning from our professors. Some were funny, some were serious. They were all brilliant and taught us in their own way.

Did you have any teachers/mentors who stand out? Why?
All of our professors were fantastic. I truly believe Touro Law has great educators. If I had to choose one, I would say Professor Laura Dooley. Her teaching was clear, organized, and made us interested in learning the law. I was lucky to have her for both Torts and Civil Procedure. If students have a chance to take her class, I'd recommend it 100%.

Were you involved in student organizations? If so, which and how did they help shape your law school experience?
I was the Justice of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and Vice President of the Asian American Law Students Association. Participating in student organizations allowed me to meet students outside of my cohort. It was fun to participate in events and work together towards expanding the organization's mission and our membership. Joining a student organization rounded out my law school experience because being a law student did not only mean studying all the time, but we had social events too.

Are you the first in your family to attend law school?
My sister graduated from law school in 1996, and now I'm graduating in 2025.

What are you most looking forward to about being a lawyer?
I am looking forward to passing the bar! After that, I look forward to finding a job close to home.

What advice would you give to someone considering law school?
Do it. You won't regret it. Yes, it's stressful and hard, but don't give up. If I did it, so can you. Trust me.

Any other info that you want to share that might be interesting?
I am a pharmacist, business owner, and mom of three. Touro’s FlexTime Program gave me an opportunity to become a lawyer. There are no other programs out there that would have accommodated my busy schedule. I am truly blessed to be able to study at Touro Law and live my dream. Thank you, Touro Law!