LBLS is Accepting Certification Applications in Business Bankruptcy Law and Consumer Bankruptcy Law until September 30, 2026

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 years may apply for cer­tification. Further requirements are that, each year, a minimum percentage of the attorney’s practice must be devoted to the area of certi­fication sought, and the attorney must pass a written examination to demonstrate sufficient knowledge, skills and proficiency in the area for which certification is sought and provide five favorable references. Peer review is 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. Refer to the LBLS Bankruptcy Law Standards for a detailed description of the requirements.

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. For bankruptcy law, CLE is regulated by the American Board of Certification, the test­ing agency.

With regard to applications for business bankruptcy law and consumer bankruptcy law certification, although the written test(s) is administered by the American Board of Cer­tification, attorneys should apply for approval of the LBLS simultaneously with the testing agency to avoid delay of board certification by the LBLS. Information concerning the Ameri­can Board of Certification will be provided with the application form(s), and can be viewed at https://www.abcworld.org/.

Here is a link to a letter on the LBLS website setting forth the benefits of board certification.

Anyone interested in applying for certifica­tion should contact LBLS Specialization Di­rector Mary Ann Wegmann, email maryann.wegmann@lsba.org, or call (504)619-0128.