Sources of Certification

    Here is a current listing of lawyer specialty certification programs sources offered to lawyers in various parts of the country. Visit the Find a Certification Program page for limitations which state ethics rules place on public disclosure of certification.

    Programs

    Click on a program listing for a summary description of its offerings. 

    Private Organizations with ABA-Accredited Certification Programs

    Offer certification of specialists directly in various fields of law to lawyers nationally. Check state regulations for disclaimer requirements. 

    State Sponsored Certification Plans

    These entities offer certification of specialists directly in various fields of law to lawyers licensed in their state, and accredit some programs of private specialist certification programs, too.

    State Entities That Accredit Private Certifiers

    These entities accredit certification programs of other, private organizations certifying lawyer specialists in their state. 

    Directory of Programs

    ABA-Accredited Private National Programs

    The American Board of Certification
    Mary Kleppinger, Executive Director 
    225 2nd Street SE, Suite 314 
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
    Phone: 319/365-2222
    Fax: 319/363-0127
    Toll-Free: 877/365-2221
    Specialty Programs: Business Bankruptcy; Consumer Bankruptcy; Creditors Rights

    American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys 
    Reeve McNamara, Executive Director
    4355 Cobb Parkway, Suite J-208
    Atlanta, GA 30339
    Phone: 404/919.4009 Fax: 866/531.9643
    Specialty Programs: Legal Professional Liability; Medical Professional Liability

    International Association of Privacy Professionals
    Doug Forman
    Director of Certification
    75 Rochester Avenue, Suite 4
    Portsmouth, NH 03801 
    dforman@iapp.org
    Specialty Program: Privacy Law

    National Association of Counsel for Children               
    Kim Dvorchak, JD, NACC Executive Director
    1600 Downing Street, Suite 410
    Denver, CO 80218
    Phone: 888/828.NACC or 888/828.6222
    Specialty Program: Juvenile Law-Child Welfare

    National Association of Estate Planners & Councils
    Estate Law Specialist Board, Inc.
    Susan Carney, Administrative Director
    1120 Chester Ave., Suite 470 
    Cleveland, Ohio 44114
    Phone: 216/696-3225
    Specialty Program: Estate Planning Law Specialist

    National Board of Trial Advocacy
    Melissa Sternbach, Executive Director
    850 Franklin Street, Suite 8
    Wrentham, Massachusetts 02093-2406
    Phone: 508/384-6565
    Specialty Programs: Civil Pretrial Practice Law; Civil Trial Advocacy; Criminal Trial Advocacy; Family Law Trial Advocacy; Social Security Disability Law; Truck Accident Law.

    National College for DUI Defense, Inc.
    Rhea C. Kirk, Executive Director
    445 S Decatur Street
    Montgomery, AL 36104
    Phone: 334/264-1950
    Specialty Program: DUI Defense Law

    National Elder Law Foundation
    Meg Hyatt
    6336 North Oracle Road, Ste. 326, #136
    Tucson, AZ 85704
    Phone: 520/881-1076
    Specialty Program: Elder Law
    meg@nelf.org

    State Certification Plans

    State Bar of Arizona Legal Specialization and MCLE
    Connie Hay, Board of Legal Specialization Administrator 
    4201 N. 24th Street Suite 100
    Phoenix, Arizona 85016-6266
    Phone: 602/340-7326
    Specialty Programs: Administrative, Bankruptcy, Criminal Law, Estate and Trust, Family Law, Injury & Wrongful Death, Real Estate, Taxation, Workers' Compensation

    State Bar of California - Department of Legal Specialization
    Adrian Galang, Program Supervisor
    180 Howard Street
    San Francisco, California 94105
    Phone: 415/538-2115
    Specialty Programs: Admiralty and Maritime; Appellate; Bankruptcy; Criminal; Estate Planning, Trust & Probate; Family; Franchise and Distribution; Immigration & Nationality; Legal Malpractice; Taxation; Workers' Compensation

    Connecticut State Bar Association
    Suzanne Hard, Attorney
    30 Bank Street, PO Box 350
    New Britain, CT 06050-0350
    Phone: 860/612-2033
    Specialty Programs: National Board of Trial Advocacy for civil trial practice and criminal law; the American Board of Certification for business bankruptcy and consumer bankruptcy; and the Connecticut Bar Association's Standing Committee on Workers' Compensation for workers' compensation law

    The Florida Bar, Board of Legal Specialization and Education
    Diana Kellogg, Director
    661 E. Jefferson St.
    Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2300
    Phone: 850/561-5850
    Specialty Programs: Adoption Law; Admiralty & Maritime; Antitrust & Trade Regulation; Appellate Practice; Aviation; Business Litigation; City, County and Local Government; Civil Trial; Construction Law; Criminal Appellate; Criminal Trial; Education Law; Elder Law; Health Law; Immigration & Nationality; Intellectual Property Law; International Law; Labor & Employment Law; Marital & Family Law; Real Estate; State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice; Tax; Wills, Trusts & Estates; Workers' Compensation

    Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization
    Maryann Wegmann, Executive Director
    601 St. Charles Avenue
    New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
    Phone: 504/619-0128
    Specialty Programs: Appellate Practice Business Bankruptcy; Consumer Bankruptcy; Employment Law; Estate Planning & Administration; Family Law; Health Law; Labor Law; Tax Law

    Minnesota State Bar Association
    Sue Koplin, MSBA Director, Certified Legal Specialists
    600 Nicollet Mall #380
    Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Phone: 800/882-MSBA
    Specialty Programs: Civil Trial Law; Criminal Law; Labor and Employment Law; Real Property Law

    New Jersey Board on Attorney Certification
    Wendy L. Weiss, Staff Attorney
    CN 970, Trenton, New Jersey 08625
    Phone: 609/984-3077
    Specialty Programs: Civil Trial; Criminal Trial; Matrimonial; Workers' Compensation

    North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization
    Brian Oten, Executive Director
    P.O. Box 25908
    Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
    Phone: 919/828-4620
    Specialty Programs: Business Bankruptcy Law; Consumer Bankruptcy Law; Criminal Appellate Practice; Federal Criminal Law; State Criminal Law; Estate Planning & Probate Law; Family Law; Immigration Law; Real Property Law: Business, Commercial & Industrial; Real Property Law: Residential Transactions; Trademark Law; Workers' Compensation Law

    Ohio State Bar Association
    Melissa Quick, Specialization and Certification Manager
    P.O. Box 16562
    Columbus, Ohio 43216-6562
    Phone: 800/282-6556
    Specialty Programs: Estate Planning Trust and Probate Law; Family Relations Law; Federal Taxation Law; Insurance Coverage Law; Labor and Employment Law; Real Property - Business, Commercial and Industrial Law; Real Property - Residential Law and Workers' Compensation Law in Ohio

    South Carolina Supreme Court Commission on CLE and Specialization
    L. Donette Welch
    950 Taylor Street, Suite 120
    P.O. Box 2138
    Columbia, South Carolina 29202
    Phone: 803/799-5578
    Specialty Programs: Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor Law; Employment and Labor Law; Estate Planning & Probated Law; Taxation

     Tennessee Supreme Court Commission on CLE & Specialization
    Judy Bond-McKissack
    221 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 300
    Nashville, TN 37219
    Phone: 615/741-3096
    Specialty Programs: Accounting Malpractice; Business Bankruptcy; Civil Trial Advocacy; Consumer Bankruptcy; Creditors' Rights; Criminal Law Trial Advocacy; DUI Defense; Elder Law; Estate Planning; Family Law Trial Advocacy; Juvenile Law; Legal Professional Liability; Medical Professional Liability; Social Security Disability

    Texas Board of Legal Specialization
    Leo Figueroa, Executive Director
    505 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 400, L.B. 28
    Austin, Texas 78752
    Phone: 512/453-7266
    Specialty Programs: Administrative; Business Bankruptcy; Consumer Bankruptcy; Civil Appellate; Civil Trial; Commercial Real Estate; Consumer and Commercial; Criminal; Estate Planning & Probate; Family; Farm & Ranch Real Estate; Immigration & Nationality; Juvenile; Labor & Employment; Oil, Gas & Mineral; Personal Injury Trial; Residential Real Estate; Tax

    State Accreditation Plans

    Alabama State Bar Board of Legal Specialization
    Contact: Justin Aday, Director of Admissions & Attorney Licensing, Director of Regulatory Programs
    Phone: 334/269-1515

    Idaho State Bar
    Contact: Annette Strauser
    Phone: 208/334-4500

    Indiana Supreme Court Commission on CLE & Specialization
    Contact: Julia Orzeske, Executive Director
    Phone: 317/232-1943

    Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar
    Contact: Alan P. Kelley, Assistant Bar Counsel 
    Phone: 207/623-1121

    Minnesota Board of Legal Certification
    Contact: Maragaret Fuller Corneille
    Phone: 651/297-1857

    Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists
    Contact: Susan Christoff, Esq.
    Phone: 888/308-2207

    Pennsylvania Bar Association State Accreditation Plan
    Contact: Tameka Altadonna
    Phone: 800/932-0311 x2280

    Tennessee Supreme Court Commission on CLE and Specialization
    Contact: Judy Bond-McKissack, Esq., Executive Director
    Phone: 615/741-3096

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