What does it mean when an attorney is a Certified Specialist?
A Certified Specialist is more than just an attorney who specializes in a particular area of law. A California attorney who is certified by the State Bar as an Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Specialist must have: • Taken and passed a comprehensive full-day written examination in estate planning, trust, and probate law administered by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization; • Demonstrated a high level of expertise and requisite number of years of experience in estate planning, trust, and probate law; • Fulfilled mandated ongoing education requirements in estate planning, trust, and probate law; • Been favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with his or her estate planning, trust, and probate work. Why does the State Bar certify legal specialists? • To help the public identify attorneys who have demonstrated proficiency in specialized fields of law; • To encourage the maintenance and improvement of attorney competence in specialized fields of l
