Choosing an attorney can be a challenge in New Jersey. There are a lot of options to choose from. Did you you know that only 2% of the attorneys in New Jersey are Certified Civil Trial Attorneys? If you have a case that could end up in a trial, having a Certified Civil Trial Attorney could help you to have more success in your case. Here is the Board on Attorney Certification website showing the current list of certified attorneys across the key legal practice areas.
Just so you have a brief understanding, below is an outline of what it takes to get certified and what areas matter. A longer explanation of this is available on our website under About Us/Certified New Jersey Civil Attorney.
Q. What is a certified civil trial attorney?
A. Certified Civil Trial attorney is a special designation granted by the New Jersey Supreme Court to attorneys who have gone through a rigorous process to prove their skill and expertise in the courtroom in front of a jury. The Supreme Court only awards this designation to lawyers who meet the rigourous standards of the process.
Q. What does it mean when an attorney is certified?
A. A certified attorney is not just an attorney who has a specialization in a particular area of law. Additionally, they have also
• Been a member of the New Jersey bar for over five years
• Participated in continuing legal education requirements
• Shown a significant level of experience in civil trial law
• Been recommended and evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with his or her work
• Passed a written test in civil trial law
Q. What areas of law does New Jersey Certify for:
A. Currently there are four areas: civil trial law; criminal trial law; matrimonial law; and workers compensation law.
Q. How many attorneys are currently certified in New Jersey?
A. Out of about 60,000 lawyers in New Jersey, only 2% have the designation of Board Certified Civil Trial Attorneys.
Q. How can I know if an attorney is Board certified?
A. There are a couple of ways. First of all only certified attorneys are legally allowed to use the designation "Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney" on their letterhead, business cards, or other ads. You can also click on the link at the top of this blog for a full listing of currently certified lawyers.
Q. How do I find out more about certification?
A. The best answer is the source! Here is the contact information you need.
Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Attorney Certification
P.O. Box 970
Trenton, NJ 08625-0970
609-984-3077
John J. Scura III Is A Certified Civil Trial Attorney
Presently, John J. Scura III meets all the requirements and is a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. On Personal injury cases and other litigated civil matters, the Civil Trial Certification entitles John to pay a referral fee to the referring attorney without regard to the work done by the referring attorney.
Referral Fees Permitted
The Pertinent part of Court Rule 1:39-6(d) provides: (d) Division of Fees. If you have an attorney who is not certified, or you are an attorney that needs to refer a client, it is important that you understand that John is both allowed and willing to pay a referral fee. Need more information about referral fees? Visit our website page describing this further, or fill out your contact information and we would be happy to talk with you.
