ABPLA
The American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (ABPLA)
is accredited by the American Bar Association to certify attorneys
in the specialty areas of medical and legal professional liability.
The membership is comprised of approximately 300 leading trial
attorneys who focus on areas of professional liability law.
Professional liability is the area of law which focuses on
legal issues arising from the practice of professionals such
as doctors, lawyers and accountants.
Medical and legal malpractice are among the more complex
and difficult forms of tort litigation on the American court
scene.
Practice in this field requires that lawyers are also formally
educated as doctors or, in the alternative, that they participate
in specialized instruction in the form of graduated preceptorsip,
initially assisting and evolving to full trial responsibility.
Getting certified by the ABPLA
In addition to documenting experience, successful applicants
must demonstrate competence in legal writing and courtroom
performance. They must:
- Show proof of participating in regular and substantive
continuing legal education.
- Submit to peer evaluation.
- Sit for a daylong written examination developed and administered
by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys
Board of Governors.
When attorneys achieve the prerequisite knowledge and experience,
and upon a successful application, the American Board of Professional
Liability Attorneys certifies them as specialists in the areas
of medical and legal professional liability.
ABPLA.org
NBTA
The National Board of Trial Advocacy board certifies trial
lawyers in the areas of Civil, Criminal, and Family Law. NBTA
certification is a credential above and beyond a license to
practice law. It proclaims to the public and other attorneys
that our lawyers possess an enhanced level of skill and expertise
in trial advocacy and have demonstrated integrity and dedication
to the interests of their clients.
nbtanet.org
Most criminal cases and virtually 98% of all civil cases
never actually go to trial. This is because they are settled
out of court.
What will motivate your opponent to want to settle with you
out of court? If you are represented by an experienced trial
lawyer who is making reasonable requests for settlement on
your behalf, the opposition knows it would probably be foolish
to take the case to trial against an experienced, skilled
litigator.
On the other hand, if the opposition knows something you
don't know - that your lawyer has virtually no experience
in court or has demonstrated a serious lack of skill in court
- the opposition is much less likely to meet your settlement
demands because they feel confident about their chances of
success against your lawyer in court.
For these reasons, the most powerful advantage you can have
is a lawyer who is known to be a highly-skilled trial lawyer.
The odds are much greater that such a lawyer will be able
to successfully negotiate an out-of-court settlement for you.
Litigation is oftentimes compared to war. In litigation,
as in war, the side with the greatest skill and experience
is usually able to avoid conflict because the opposition is
not willing to risk the consequences against such a capable
opponent.
Therefore, as strange as it may seem at first, your chances
of successfully resolving your case out of court are much
better when you are represented by a skilled, experienced
trial lawyer who is well-known and respected by the opposition.
The NBTA simply makes these lawyers known to the public by
identifying them as "Board Certified Specialist in Civil Trial
Practice."
- They must submit a list of names of judges
and lawyers who are contacted by the NTBA to independently
verify the lawyer's skill, experience and even the lawyer's
reputation for ethical and professional conduct.
- They must be in good standing with their
state bar association.
- They must pass a daylong written examination.
- They must submit actual copies of their written
legal work for review.
- They must provide documentation to prove
their active involvement in multiple trials before judges
and juries.
There are additional requirements that the lawyer must obtain
continuing legal education and remain in good ethical standing
with the bar association to keep their certification active.
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