LA Board of Legal Specialization is accepting applications for board certification in 7 specializations until March 19, 2025
The LBLS is accepting applications for board certification in seven (7) specializations — appellate practice, employment law, estate planning and administration, family law, health law, labor law, and tax law -- from November 1, 2024 through March 19, 2025. The deadline to submit applications was extended from February 28, 2025 to Wednesday, March 19, 2025. The LBLS is accepting applications for business bankruptcy law and consumer bankruptcy law board certification from January 1, 2025 through September 30, 2025.
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.
With regard to applications for business bankruptcy law and consumer bankruptcy law board certification, although the written test(s) is administered by the American Board of Certification, attorneys should apply for approval of the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization simultaneously with the testing agency in order to avoid delay of board certification by the LBLS. Information concerning the American Board of Certification will be provided with the application form(s).
Anyone interested in applying for board certification should contact LBLS Specialization Director, Mary Ann Wegmann, email maryann.wegmann@lsba.org, or call (504) 619-0128.