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Peel v. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois, 110 S.Ct. 2281 (1990), disallows any state from prohibiting disclosure of NBTA certification.

Civil and Criminal Standards

Every effort is made to insure that the information contained in this web document is up to date and accurate. In the event of any descrepancy between tthe material published on the web site and the printed forms disseminated from the NBTA home office,, the printed documents are authoritative.

  1. General Principles
  2. Certification Standards
  3. Recertification Standards
  4. Annual Reporting
  5. Denial or Revocation of Certification.

General Principles for Certification of Civil and Criminal Trial Advocates

  1. No standards shall in any way limit the right of a certified civil or criminal trial advocate to practice law in all fields.
  2. No lawyer shall be required to obtain a certificate in civil or criminal trial advocacy before he or she can practice in either field.
  3. Certification is individual and voluntary. Certification is open to all who qualify.
  4. Certification shall be for five years, after which time the certificate cannot be used unless the lawyer is recertified. Certification may be revoked at any time for violations of the General Principles or Standards of the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
  5. Application will be made to the National Board of Trial Advocacy, on the forms supplied by the Board, and accompanied by the appropriate fee.
  6. Applicant must complete all requirements, including the examination, within two years of application. If the certification process is not satisfactorily completed within the two year period, the applicant will need to reapply and re-submit all required fees. An application can be denied at any time within the two year application period for failure to successfully meet the requirements for certification.
  7. A certificate will be issued upon a showing by the applicant, and by the Board's own investigation, that the applicant complies with the standards and regulations for certification.
  8. A lawyer may be both a criminal and civil trial advocate.
  9. All applications and other information submitted to the National Board of Trial Advocacy shall be privileged and confidential, except as compelled by law and, except that the Board may reveal the fact of an application for the purpose of verifying information submitted by the applicant, and for the purpose of making such inquiries with respect to the character and professional reputation of the applicant as may be authorized by its rules.
  10. The National Board of Trial Advocacy does not discriminate against any lawyer seeking certification on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age.
  11. The National Board of Trial Advocacy is dedicated to the identification of lawyers who possess an enhanced level of skill and expertise in trial advocacy, and have demonstrated integrity and dedication to the interests of their clients, thereby improving the professional competence of lawyers.

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Accuracy of Information Disclaimer: The on-line version of this and all documents published on this web site are for the convenience of web site visitors. Every effort is made to keep it current. However, the NBTA does frequently update its documents and standards. Those updates may not be reflected in the on-line version. Always check with the home office to make sure you have the latest version. In the event of discrepancies between this on-line document and any other documents maintained or published by the NBTA, regardless of the medium, the NBTA retains sole and absolute control in determining which documents or parts thereof represent current policies, standards, and/or regulations.