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Why Board Certification?
How does a certified attorney benefit the consumer?
Founded in 1977 by noted trial attorney Theodore
I. Koskoff, NBTA is accredited by the American Bar Association
to certify attorneys as specialists in the areas of civil, criminal,
and family law trial advocacy. NBTA’s Board of Directors
consists of 25 renowned trial attorneys, law professors, and
judges from throughout the country. Eleven of which represent
NBTA’s sponsoring organizations, organizations which serve
as a testament to the diversity of NBTA’s membership and
the overreaching importance of NBTA’s mission.
Why Get Board Certified?
NBTA board certification offers attorneys an
edge over self-designated specialist and attorneys that simply
limit their practice to a particular area; certification illustrates
skill, experience and expertise on a level above and beyond
the general practice of law. NBTA certified attorneys are able,
according to their states regulations, to advertise that they
have met the objective and rigorous standards approved by the
U.S. Supreme Court and the American Bar Association. Thanks
to NBTA’s efforts on the national and state levels, specialty
certification has changed from a resume filler to a highly recognized
and very important credential and NBTA continues to lead the
field of specialty certification. In 1990, NBTA led the fight
in the U.S. Supreme Court to permit lawyers to openly state
their certification and in 1993 we led the first group of certifiers
in acquiring ABA accreditation.
Requirements for National Board Certification.
Applicants for NBTA certification must document
that information which is outlined below on NBTA’s application
forms and each applicant must successfully complete an essay
examination which is administered twice a year (typically in
January and July) prior to achieving NBTA certification. Applicants
are asked to illustrate that they:
• are a current member of the bar in good standing.
• are a practicing attorney for at least five years with
a 30% concentration in the field in which certification is sought
for at least the past 3 years.
• can draft an effective trial brief or memorandum through
the submission of a trial court brief or memorandum, relevant
to the field in which certification is sought, prepared by the
applicant, and filed in a trial court within the past 3 years.
• have participated in at least 45 hours of continuing
legal education, relevant to the field in which certification
is sought, in the past 3 years.
• have demonstrated their skills through the provision
of the names of ten to twelve attorneys and judges familiar
with your trial skills, relevant to the field in which certification
is sought.
• for Civil Trial Advocacy applicants: have been lead counsel
in at least 15 trials of civil matters to verdict or judgment,
including not less than 45 days of trial with at least five
of these trials to a jury.
In addition to trial work, the attorney must have been lead
counsel in 40 contested matters involving the taking of evidence,
e.g., hearings, motions, and depositions.
If your attorney or prospective attorney is not Board
Certified, ask why not?
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