Hire a Board Certified Lawyer

The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) is a non-profit organization accredited by the American Bar Association whose responsibility is to certify that attorneys are specially qualified in areas in which they seek to practice.

A licensed lawyer can not simply pay a fee to become certified by NBTA. In order to be certified, a lawyer must meet rigorous experience requirements, ethical requirements, and demonstrate their competence through a series of tests administered by NBTA.

It is important for the public to know that when they hire a Board Certified NBTA attorney, that they are getting quality representation, not because their attorney said so, but because their peers say so.

Why Board Certification?
In the medical profession, many hospitals forbid doctors to practice without proof of board certification in their area of specialization. Before the NBTA was founded in 1977, no such mechanism existed for lawyers. Potential clients were forced to rely on word of mouth or advertisements when seeking a lawyer who specialized in a particular area.

Lawyers Specialize
As with the medical profession where the body of knowledge is so large that it's impossible for one doctor to remain current in all areas of specialty, the body of law has grown so large and complex that attorneys can no longer be all things to all people.

But unlike the medical profession, which has embraced specialization and specialty certification, the legal profession has been slow to acknowledge publicly what it has known for years: nearly all lawyers specialize but do so without substantiation beyond "reputation" or simply saying it's so.

Truth in Advertising
Unfortunately, not all who claim expertise possess the experience and competence implied by their declarations or ads.

Founder Theodore I. Koskoff and several other nationally renowned attorneys formed the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) in response to this situation and out of a deeply held conviction that the law profession and its clients would benefit from an organization dedicated to establishing objective standards by which to measure experience and expertise.

Becoming Board Certified
That dedication to achieving and maintaining a high standard of practice and to leveling the playing field for clients is shared by those who obtain National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) certification.

Certificate holders undergo a thorough screening of their credentials, including: documentation of their experience, judicial and peer references, an exam, and they must report all disciplinary matters brought before any official body, whether public or private, for scrutiny by the NBTA Standards Committee.

Staying Board Certified
Possessing the NBTA certificate means that the attorney has been held to a higher standard of professional and personal conduct.

NBTA lawyers maintain active trial practices and are required to submit a disclosure of misconduct annually and, at the end of each five-year term, prove once again they meet the standards for recertification.

Demand Experience
All trial lawyers are not created equal. Don't settle for someone else's word when you require a lawyer's services. Demand an NBTA board certified attorney. There is no substitute.

How to Contact the NBTA
Melissa Sternbach
Executive Director, National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA)
200 Stonewall Blvd.
Suite 1 Wrentham
Massachusetts 02093
(866) 384-6565 or call (866) 384-6565

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