Certified Welfare Law Board Certification by the TBLS

To become board certified in child welfare law, the attorney must show a minimum of 25% of his or her time practicing child welfare law in Texas during each of the three years immediately preceding the application.

The attorney must provide information as required by TBLS concerning specific tasks he or she has performed in Texas child welfare law. In evaluating experience, TBLS may take into consideration the nature, complexity, and duration of the tasks handled by the attorney. 

In the three years immediately preceding the application, the attorney must have served as lead counsel for a party or child from inception of the case or time of appointment or engagement to final judgment in 10 cases that meet one of these requirements:

• a contested child welfare case in a trial court of record that involves oral testimony and factual findings, excluding default judgments; or
• an appeal in a child welfare case that is fully briefed on the merits at the appellate level.

An appeal that the attorney prosecutes or defends in an intermediate appellate court and in the Supreme Court of Texas counts as one case.

In the three years immediately preceding the application, the attorney must also have participated in 20 cases that meet one of these requirements:

• a contested child welfare case in which the attorney served as lead counsel for a party or a child and that was resolved without a trial on the merits; or
• post-trial proceedings in which the attorney played a substantial role.

For purposes of certification without examination, TBLS may grant certification in child welfare law without requiring a written examination to an applicant who:

• has been licensed for 10 years;
• is certified by TBLS in family law;
• meets all of the requirements of these standards; and
• applies for certification no later than three years after the effective date of the specialty area. 

For purposes of becoming board certified in child welfare law, the TBLS's Standards for Attorney Certification require the attorney to submit a minimum of five names and addresses of persons to be contacted as references to attest to his or her competence in child welfare law.

These persons must be substantially involved in child welfare law, and be familiar with the applicant’s child welfare law practice.

For certification, the attorney must submit names of persons with whom he or she has had dealings involving child welfare law matters within the three years immediately preceding application.

For recertification, the attorney must submit names of persons with whom he or she had dealings involving child welfare law matters since certification or the most recent recertification.

The attorneys must submit the following types of references:

• Four Texas attorneys who are substantially involved in child welfare law. Applicant must have participated at trial or on appeal or in the negotiation of a child welfare matter in alignment with or in opposition to the attorney.
• One Texas trial court judge, associate judge or appellate justice before whom the attorney has appeared as lead counsel for a party or a child in a contested child welfare case in a trial or appellate court.