what is a certified attorney in new jersey

An attorney of the State of New Jersey may be certified as a civil trial attorney, a criminal trial attorney, a matrimonial law attorney, a workers’ compensation law attorney, or a municipal court trial attorney, or in more than one designated area of practice, but only on establishing eligibility and satisfying requirements regarding education, experience, knowledge, and skill for each designated area of practice as set forth below.

Full Answer

How do I become a certified attorney in New Jersey?

The Board on Attorney Certification was established by the Supreme Court of New Jersey in 1980 for the purpose of helping consumers find attorneys who have a recognized level of competence in particular fields of law. Attorneys may be designated by the Supreme Court as "certified attorneys" if they: are able to demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge …

What is the New Jersey Supreme Court Board on Attorney Certification?

An attorney must meet the following requirements to become certified: has been a member in good standing of the New Jersey Bar for at least five years; has taken a specific number of continuing legal education courses in the three years prior to filing an application;

Can there be more than one attorney in New Jersey?

A certified attorney is more than just an attorney who specializes in a particular area of law. A New Jersey attorney who is certified by the Supreme Court as a civil trial attorney must have: been a member in good standing of the New Jersey bar for more than 5 years, fulfilled ongoing continuing legal education requirements,

Mission and History

In 1980, the Supreme Court of New Jersey authorized the Board on Attorney Certification to administrate the state's program for certifying lawyers. The Board on Attorney Certification is responsible for administering the program and making rules for certification.

Board Certified New Jersey Lawyers Active on Lawyer Legion

Lawyer Legion maintains a statewide directory of board certified lawyers in New Jersey. The public is able to browse the directory and narrow their search by specialty area, county or city to and connect with board certified lawyers to help with their case.

Rule 1:39 on Specialty Certification Of Attorneys

An attorney of the State of New Jersey may be certified as a civil trial attorney, a criminal trial attorney, a matrimonial law attorney, a workers’ compensation law...

NJ Supreme Court Approves Trial Certification for Municipal Court Attorneys

The New Jersey Supreme Court has authorized trial certification in the area of municipal court practice. The new trial certification became available on September 1, 2011. Amendment to the rules and regulations that implement this change begin on page 9 of the Appendix. Read more at Notice of Certification for Municipal Court Trial Law.

Additional Resources

Sources of Certification in New Jersey - Visit the website of the American Bar Association to find a current list of lawyer specialty certification programs and a summary description of the offerings of each program.

Finding a Board Certified Attorney in New Jersey

The website for the New Jersey Courts maintains a list of certified attorneys for each practice area. The board certified attorneys are listed in alphabetical order. Only the attorney's name, the name of the firm and the attorney's phone number are listed.

How Do You Choose The Best Attorney For Your Needs?

Consider a Certified Trial Attorney. It’s confusing trying to choose an attorney. You might have never needed an attorney before, so you ask a friend to refer you to someone, or search online where hundreds, or even thousands of attorneys are listed.

What is a Certified Trial Attorney?

Certified civil trial attorney is a designation granted by the New Jersey Supreme Court to attorneys who are able to demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge, and skill in civil trial practice.

What Does Certified Trial Attorney Mean?

A certified attorney is more than just an attorney who specializes in a particular area of law. A New Jersey attorney who is certified by the Supreme Court as a civil trial attorney must have:

Why Does New Jersey Have a Certification Program?

The certification program helps the public find attorneys who have demonstrated proficiency in specialized fields of law. Certification helps lawyers by giving them a way to make their experience known to the public and to other lawyers.

How Many Attorneys are Certified in New Jersey?

As of December 2016, approximately 1,650 lawyers hold board certification out of roughly 75,000 active lawyers in New Jersey. This means that Williams Cedar partners David Cedar and Kevin Haverty are among only 2% of active lawyers in New Jersey to hold the Certified Trial Attorney distinction.

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Why does New Jersey have a program for certification in trial law?

The certification program helps consumers find attorneys who have a recognized level of competence in specialized fields of the law. Certification also helps lawyers by giving them a way to make their experience known to the public and to other lawyers.

How long does an attorney remain certified?

Certification is good for seven years. To be recertified, an attorney must apply for recertification every seven years and meet requirements that are similar to certification.

How may attorneys are certified in New Jersey?

As of December, 2006, out of approximately 60,000 active lawyers in New Jersey, 1,534 currently hold Board Certification in various specialized fields of law.

How does the consumer know if an attorney is board certified?

Although many practicing trial attorneys now advertise in newspapers, on television, and in Yellow Pages, only attorneys certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court are entitled to use either the designation "Certified Civil Trial Attorney" or "Certified Criminal Trial Attorney" on their letterhead, business cards, Yellow Pages listings or in their advertisements..