Certification or Licensing
The National Board of Trial Advocacy provides board certification in civil trial law, civil practice advocacy, criminal trial law, family trial law, social security disability law and truck accident law. The National Association of Counsel for Children provides the child welfare law certification to attorneys who serve in the role of child’s attorney (including guardian ad litem, law guardian, attorney ad litem), parent’s attorney, and agency/department/government attorney. The specialization area as approved by the American Bar Association is defined as "the practice of law representing children, parents or the government in all child protection proceedings including emergency, temporary custody, adjudication, disposition, foster care, permanency planning, termination, guardianship, and adoption. Child welfare law does not include representation in private child custody and adoption disputes where the state is not a party." Specialized voluntary certification for elder law attorneys is provided by the National Elder Law Foundation. Contact these organizations for more information on certification requirements.
Every state requires that lawyers be admitted to the bar of that state before they can practice. They require that applicants graduate from an approved law school and that they pass a written examination in the state in which they intend to practice. In a few states, graduates of law schools within the state are excused from these written examinations. After lawyers have been admitted to the bar in one state, they can practice in another state without taking a written examination if the states have reciprocity agreements; however, they will be required to meet certain state standards of good character and legal experience and pay any applicable fees.
- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Addiction Therapists
- Adult Day Care Coordinators
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
- Arbitrators
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bailiffs
- Bankruptcy Lawyers
- Behavioral Health Technicians
- Biotechnology Patent Lawyers
- Bodyguards
- Border Patrol Agents
- Bounty Hunters
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- Child Life Specialists
- Civil Litigation Lawyers
- Clinic Managers
- Community Health Nurses
- Community Health Program Coordinators
- Community Health Workers
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Conflict Resolution Specialists
- Contact Tracers
- Corporate Lawyers
- Court Interpreters and Translators
- Court Reporters
- Creative Arts Therapists
- Criminal Lawyers
- Dietetic Technicians
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Directors of Volunteers
- Elder Law Attorneys
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Lawyers
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Family Lawyers
- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Fund-Raisers
- Geriatric Care Managers
- Geriatric Nurses
- Geriatric Psychiatrists
- Geriatric Social Workers
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Grief Therapists
- Health Advocates
- Hedge Fund Lawyers
- Historic Preservationists
- HIV/AIDS Counselors and Case Managers
- Home Health Care Aides
- Home Health Care and Hospice Nurses
- Hospice Workers
- Human Services Workers
- Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Judges
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Law Librarians
- Lawyers
- Legal Nurse Consultants
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Legal Secretaries
- Librarians
- Litigation Support/eDiscovery Analysts
- Lobbyists
- Mergers and Acquisitions Attorneys
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- Music Therapists
- Mutual Fund Lawyers
- National Park Service Employees
- Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Nursing Home Administrators
- Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides
- Orientation and Mobility Specialists
- Paralegals
- Park Rangers
- Patent Agents
- Patent Lawyers
- Personal Care Aides
- Polygraph Examiners
- Process Servers
- Proposal Managers
- Psychologists
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Rabbis
- Real Estate Lawyers
- Recreational Therapists
- Rehabilitation Counselors
- Roman Catholic Priests
- Sign Language and Oral Interpreters
- Social Workers
- Space Lawyers
- Tax Attorneys
- Tutors and Trainers
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
