Environmental Lawyers Job Description, Duties & Salary

Certification, Licensing, and Special Requirements

Certification or Licensing

The National Board of Trial Advocacy offers voluntary board certification in civil law, criminal law, and other areas. Contact the board for more information.

Courts in all U.S. states and jurisdictions require lawyers to be licensed, or admitted to the bar, as dictated by the rules of the jurisdiction’s highest court. Bar admission applicants are required to pass a written bar examination. In nearly all states, applicants must also pass a separate written ethics examination. A lawyer who has passed the bar in one state and wishes to practice in another state may be required to also take the second state’s bar exam. Other states may not require that lawyers take a second bar exam, provided the lawyers meet the jurisdiction’s standards of good moral character and have already practiced law for a certain amount of time. Requirements will vary by state, and federal courts and agencies set their own qualifications for those practicing before or in them.

To qualify for the bar examination in most states, an applicant must earn a college degree and graduate from a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) or the proper state authorities. ABA accreditation is important because it means that the law school (especially its library and faculty) meets certain standards. Those who graduate from schools that are not approved by the ABA are usually restricted to taking the bar examination and practicing only in the state or other jurisdiction in which the school is located.

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