National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA)

Founded in 1977, the National Board of Trial Advocacy ("NBTA") offers board certification in civil trial law, civil pretrial practice, truck accident law, criminal trial law, family trial law, and Social Security disability law. This non-profit corporation is accredited by the American Bar Association as a board-certifying agency.

The NBTA is the largest national attorney specialty certification program. Overall, it is the fourth largest certification program. The NBTA has certified more than 2,400 lawyers across the country.

The NBTA is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) to certify attorneys in five specialty areas of law that pertain to trial advocacy including criminal trial advocacy, civil trial advocacy, family trial advocacy, social security disability trial advocacy, civil pretrial practice, and truck accident law.

From 2006 until 2015, the NBTA was a division of the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification (NBLSC). In 2015, the organization went back to being known as the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA).

The NBTA program was reviewed in Peel v. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois, 496 U.S. 91 (1990) (discipline for attorney's letterhead advertisement stating he was a civil trial specialist certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy violated the First Amendment) and Hayes v. N.Y. Atty. Griev. Comm., 672 F.3d 158 (2d. Cir. 2012) (New York disclaimer requirements violated First Amendment)

The goals of the organization include bettering the quality of trial advocacy in our nation's courtrooms and helping consumers find experienced and highly qualified trial lawyers. For attorneys that earn this important distinction, being board certified by the NBTA promotes excellence in legal advocacy and demonstrates the attorney's high standards of demonstrated competence and integrity.

Eleven states have formally-approved NBTA certification, including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. Several other states have rules that formally recognize agencies accredited by the ABA, including Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin.