The Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) certifies lawyers and paralegals that have substantial, relevant experience in select areas of law, completed continuing legal education hours in the specialty area, and passed a rigorous exam. The Texas Board of Legal Specialization was established in 1974 by the State Bar of Texas to "promote the availability, accessibility and quality of the services of attorneys to the public in particular areas of the law... and advance the standards of the legal profession." Becoming board certified provides a competitive edge for attorneys and paralegals in Texas, differentiating them from other attorneys through specialization in an area or certain areas of law. In brief, an applicant must:
• have been in practice a minimum of 5 years with 3 years of substantial involvement in an area of law
• complete TBLS-approved Continuing Legal Education course requirements
• furnish at least 10 qualified, vetted references
• provide extensive, relevant experience documentation
• pass a comprehensive, daylong, specialty area examination
Today, the Texas Board of Legal Specialization is the nation's largest and most successful legal board certification program. The TBLS now certifies attorneys in 21 different specialty areas and paralegals in seven specialty areas. It has certified more than 7,000 Texas attorneys, several with multiple certifications, issuing a total of more than 8,300 Certificates of Special Competence. More than 300 paralegals have distinguished themselves with board certification. Visit http://www.tbls.org or http://www.tbls-bcp.org for more information.
