The attorney certification program helps connect litigants with attorneys who New Jersey Supreme Court certified as a highly qualified specialist in their area of the law.
Supreme Court Board on Attorney Certification
Notice To Certified Attorneys: Annual Fee Payment due by January 31, 2024
The Value of Attorney Certification
Finding the right attorney helps litigants and attorneys. This program is designed to help consumers make an informed decision when seeking and selecting a lawyer. It protects them from false advertising. It also help build attorney competence in a specific area of the law.
The Board on Attorney Certification was established by the Supreme Court of New Jersey in 1980.
Attorneys can be certified in one or more of these areas:
- civil trial law
- criminal trial law
- matrimonial law
- municipal court law
- workers' compensation law
To be certified, attorneys must:
- be a member in good standing of the New Jersey Bar for at least five years
- take a specific number of continuing legal education courses in the three years prior to filing an application
- demonstrate substantial involvement in preparation of litigated matters
- demonstrate an unblemished reputation by submitting a list of attorneys and judges who will attest to the applicant's character and ability
- pass a written examination covering various aspects of practice in the designated specialty.
The New Jersey Supreme Court Board on Attorney Certification administers the certification program in this state. The Board has nine members, all of whom are members of the Bar of New Jersey. In addition, there are five certification committees. They are responsible for reviewing certification applications and for creating and grading the certification examinations. Each committee reports its eligibility findings to the Board for its report to the Supreme Court.
The Board is responsible for the operation of the certification program, including financial, policy, and rule-making functions. The Board also acts as an appellate arm when an aggrieved attorney appeals a decision made by a certification committee.
Members of the Board
Chair: Joseph Rodgers
Vice Chair: Jeffrey Pollock
Marcia Stander Freedman
Bonnie L. Laube
Joseph Rem, Jr.
Secretary: Heather Joy Baker
Counsel: Wendy L. Weiss
Civil Certification Committee
Paul M. da Costa
Wendy Allyson Reek
Criminal Certification Committee
Hillary Hudson Bryce
Brandon Minde
Matrimonial Certification Committee
Chair: Bonnie L. Laube
Jeffrey Epstein
Ronald G. Lieberman
Workers’ Compensation Certification Committee
Chair: Marcia Stander Freedman
Vicki W. Beyer
Dennis M. Baptista
Municipal Court Certification Committee
Chair: Joseph Rem, Jr.
Joshua H. Reinitz