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LBLS Accepting Applications for Board Certification - Deadline Extended


The Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization is accepting applications for board certification in seven areas — appellate practice, employment law, estate planning and administration, family law, health law, labor law and tax law. The deadline has been extended to Wednesday, March 19, 2025.



Applications for business bankruptcy law and consumer bankruptcy law will be accepted from January 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025.

To qualify, Louisiana State Bar Association members must be in good standing, have at least five years of full-time legal practice, and meet specific requirements, including minimum CLE hours, peer review, and a written examination. CLE requirements vary by specialization, with details available on the LBLS website.

In accordance with the Plan of Legal Specialization, a Louisiana State Bar Association member in good standing who has been engaged in the practice of law on a full-time basis for a minimum of five (5) years may apply for board certification. Further requirements are that each year a minimum percentage of the attorney’s practice must be devoted to the area of board certification sought, passing a written examination to demonstrate sufficient knowledge, skills, and proficiency in the area for which board certification is sought, and five (5) favorable references. Peer review shall be used to determine that an applicant has achieved recognition as having a level of competence indicating proficient performance handling the usual matters in the specialty field.  Please refer to the LBLS standards for the applicable specialty for a more detailed description of the requirements for application.

In addition to the above, applicants must meet a minimum CLE requirement for the year in which application is made and the examination is administered:
  • Appellate Practice – 15 hours of appellate practice
  • Employment Law – 15 hours of employment law
  • Estate Planning and Administration — 18 hours of estate planning and administration
  • Family Law — 15 hours of family law
  • Health Law – 15 hours of health law
  • Labor Law – 15 hours of labor law
  • Tax Law — 18 hours of tax law
  • Bankruptcy Law — CLE is regulated by the American Board of Certification, the testing agency.

Approved specialization CLE courses may be viewed on the LBLS Approved Course Calendar.

To receive an application, contact Specialization Director Mary Ann Wegmann at (504)619-0128, (800)421-5722 or email maryann.wegmann@lsba.org. For more information about specialization, go to: https://www.lsba.org/Specialization/.


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Louisiana State Bar Association
601 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
(800) 421-LSBA(5722) / (504) 566-1600