The National Board of Trial Advocacy is (NBTA) a country-wide certification authority for attorneys across the United States. The Board offers certifications for specialties in a number of fields, including:
- Civil Trial Law
- Civil Practice Advocacy
- Complex Litigation
- Criminal Trial Law
- Family Trial Law
- Patent Litigation
- Social Security Disability Law
- Truck Accident Law
The NBTA is in turn certified by the American Bar Association (ABA) every five years.
Receiving a Specialization
Receiving a specialization is not an easy task. To become a certified specialist in civil pretrial practice, lawyers must show substantial involvement in this practice area including:
- Authoring peer-review publications or articles presented at a CLE function all of which relate to pretrial or trial procedure;
- Making oral arguments on motions for summary judgment or other dispositive motions;
- Taking depositions of expert witnesses; participating in contested arbitrations and mediations;
- Qualifying, or opposing the qualification of, an expert in Daubert hearings;
- Participating in class action certification hearings; and
- Pursuing or defending contested temporary injunction hearings in which testimony is presented; and
- Presenting oral arguments in appellate cases.
The certified specialist for civil pre-trial practice or civil practice advocacy focuses on non-criminal litigation, such as personal injury and medical malpractice litigation, construction law, insurance claims, and other civil controversies.
Twice Certified Civil Trial Lawyers
Attorney Katherine McArthur is dual-certified in both civil practice and civil advocacy.
Civil Practice Advocacy refers to the administrative and pre-trial functions of attorneys for non-criminal cases, including such as personal injury and medical malpractice litigation, construction law, insurance claims, and other civil controversies.
Civil Trial Advocacy refers to the understanding of the actual trial process. This includes preparing and filing for trials, as well as arguing during a trial in addition to evaluating, handling, and resolving civil controversies prior to the initiation of suit and prior to trial.
How Important is a Board Certification?
While the respective Bar associations of each lawyer’s state (including the Georgia Bar Association) certify lawyers as minimally qualified to practice law, a certification from the NBTA demonstrates that the attorney is driven beyond the minimum licensure, has a vested interest in improving his or her craft and that a higher authority approves the lawyer.
Additional Certification Resources
National Board of Trial Advocacy – The official website for the NBTA provides information on both the requirements for certification, as well as frequently asked questions and a registry for all lawyers in good standing with the board.
Hire a Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer
The Lawyers at McArthur Law Firm go beyond the minimum, with a passion to serve our clients to the best of our ability. We work nationwide and statewide, representing residents living in Atlanta, Columbus and Augusta.
The McArthur Law Firm serves Albany, Savannah, and other Georgia cities in and around Macon. We offer a free initial consultation on all cases. Call 404-565-1621 to speak with a compassionate lawyer.
