Certified Trial Attorney: Why Choose One?

Certified civil trial attorney is a designation granted by the New Jersey Supreme Court to attorneys who are able to demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge, and skill in civil trial practice. The Supreme Court, through its Board on Attorney Certification, designates only those lawyers who apply for certification and who are able to meet the standards set by the board and approved by the court to use the Certified Trial Attorney distinction.

A certified attorney is more than just an attorney who specializes in a particular area of law. A New Jersey attorney who is certified by the Supreme Court as a civil trial attorney must have:

• been a member in good standing of the New Jersey bar for more than 5 years,
• fulfilled ongoing continuing legal education requirements,
• demonstrated a substantial level of expertise in civil trial law,
• been favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with his or her work, and
• taken and passed a written examination in civil trial law.

The certification program helps the public find attorneys who have demonstrated proficiency in specialized fields of law. Certification helps lawyers by giving them a way to make their experience known to the public and to other lawyers. Certification also encourages the maintenance and improvement of attorney competence in specialized fields of law.

As of December 2016, approximately 1,650 lawyers hold board certification out of roughly 75,000 active lawyers in New Jersey. This  means that Williams Cedar partners David Cedar and Kevin Haverty are among only 2% of active lawyers in New Jersey to hold the Certified Trial Attorney distinction.