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Admiralty & Maritime Law

APPLY TO BECOME A CERTIFIED SPECIALIST

Certification is a two part process, and the parts can be completed in any order:

Part One:
1. Register for the legal specialist examination on October 22, 2013 in Pasadena or South San Francisco. The application deadline is September 10, 2013 or until a particular test center's spaces are full. Late applications will be accepted until October 15, 2013 after that date with the appropriate late fee if space is available.

2. Access a free Admiralty & Maritime Legal Specialist Examination Preparation Packet including key logistical facts about the examination, the topics that can be tested on the examination. No past questions have been released from this examination. If you wish to take a preparation course, scroll below to see if the Department of Legal Specialization is aware of a course being offered in this area of law.

Part Two:

1. Started practicing after January 2012? You'll be eligible to register for the examination in 2015, but you can still work on the other requirements now. Use a Sample Post-Examination Application or the program rules listed below to track your experience, education and references. You can fulfill these requirements before and/or after you take the examination.

Prep Courses

The Department of Legal Specialization has not been advised of any preparation classes for this particular examination.

Note: The Department of Legal Specialization is not affiliated with this preparation class or any commercial preparation class and derives no financial benefit from any educational provider. The Department provides this information solely for your convenience.

Rules and Standards

The Standards for Certification in Admiralty and Maritime Law (revised 7/24/10)

The standards must be read in conjunction with the Rules Governing the State Bar of California Program for Certifying Legal Specialists, which govern the program requirements.

Testing Accommodations

Click here to access the application for testing accommodations for qualified individuals during the examination. Note that you must also still register for the examination using the form above and in accordance with the standard deadlines for registration.

CURRENT CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS

RECERTIFICATION: Applications are due every five years after the initial certification date. Please click here to download a Recertification Application.

Approved Education Providers

Click here for a list of providers and courses approved for legal specialist credit and MCLE credit that directly involve or are substantially related to Admiralty and Maritime Law.

The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization has created the first legal certification program for admiralty and maritime lawyers west of the Mississippi River.

General certification requirements include:

Substantial Involvement in the Field (25% of your time each year for the last five years)
45 Hours of CLE over the last three years in areas related to Admiralty and Maritime Law or underlying claims topics (see below for more detail).

The Board of Legal Specialization understands that several important conferences will take place in the fall and winter of 2012, and applicants may wish to use those conferences to satisfy the educational requirement.

Note that in addition to courses in Admiralty and Maritime law, applicants may petition the Board for discretionary approval of courses related to underlying claims in the area of admiralty law. For example, if applicant’s practice focuses on personal injury on boats, he may be able to claim personal injury classes as a portion of the requirement, if a letter is included to explain their relevancy.

California Board of Legal Specialization Certifies First Class of Admiralty & Maritime Law Specialists

The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization is pleased and proud to announce the First Class of Certified Admiralty & Maritime Law Specialists. Click here to view the full announcement.

Questions? Contact the Department of Legal Specialization at legalspec@calbar.ca.gov or at 415-538-2120. If speech- or hearing-impaired, call 711 for telecommunications relay services.