Board Certification by Texas Board of Legal Specialization
By Heidi Beginski,
Board Certified Paralegal, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Board Certification by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (“TBLS”) is a voluntary designation program for
attorneys and paralegals. Initial certification is valid for a period of five years for paralegals as well as for
attorneys in specialty areas of law.
The specialty areas of law that are curently tested for paralegals are as follows: Civil Trial Law, Personal
Injury Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Estate Planning and Probate Law, and Real Estate Law.
To remain certified, an attorney and paralegal must apply for recertification every five years and meet
substantial involvement, peer review and continuing legal education requirements for the specialty area.
The Benefits of Becoming Board Certified
Professionalism – Certification promotes the availability, accessibility and quality of legal services. It also
increases proficiency and encourages attorneys and paralegals to achieve high standards of professional excellence.
Professional Recognition – Recognition from the public and the legal community for having attained a certain
level of experience and skill as a specialist. Although not always determinative, the Board Certification is one
factor clients consider when selecting an attorney and other attorneys weigh when making referrals.
National Recognition – TBLS currently has the largest number of certified attorneys in the nation. TBLS was the
first state-associated program to certify paralegals in specialty areas.
To Become Board Certified in a specialty area, a paralegal must:
- Have at least 5 years experience as a paralegal (3 years in Texas);
- Currently work under the supervision of a licensed attorney doing business in Texas;
- Have at least 50 percent of paralegal duties concentrated in specialty areas;
- Attend continuing education seminars regularly to keep legal training up to date;
In addition to the above, successfully complete one of the following:
- NALA Certification, or
- Baccalaureate or higher degree, or
- ABA approved paralegal program, or
- Paralegal program consisting of a minimum of 60 semester credit hours of which 18 hours are substantive legal
courses, or
- Paralegal program consisting of a minimum of 18 semester credit hours of which 18 hours are substantive legal
courses in addition to a minimum of 45 semester credit hours of actual paralegal experience under the supervision of
a licensed attorney;
- Have been evaluated by lawyers, judges and other professionals associated with the specialty area;
- Pass a 4-hour written exam.
What Happens When You File an Application and How Long is the Application Process?
You will be sent an acknowledgement that your application has been received. It will include a file number that
you should refer to when calling TBLS’ office. The TBLS staff does an initial check of your application prior to
review by the Advisory Commission and TBLS. A “Staff Deficiency Notice” will be sent if additional information is
needed.
Your application will next be reviewed by the Advisory Commission in the appropriate specialty area. They may
also have questions or need additional information.
The TBLS must vote on each certification application individually and they meet in mid-August to do so. You
will be notified by mail after a decision is made on your application. If your application is approved you will be
sent materials to register for the examination. If your application is denied you may appeal the decision (see TBLS
Rules and Regulations).
The entire application and examination process takes approximately eight to nine months to complete.
 What is On the Exam?
Exam Specification for each specialty exam are available on TBLS’s website. The specifications and exams are
revised annually. All exams are confidential and unavailable for public review.
Preparatory Courses
TBLS does not sponsor or recommend any specific preparatory course for the exam. However, certified attorneys and
paralegals have reported that the State Bar Professional Development Program’s Advanced courses are very
comprehensive with the most up-to-date law. Continuing Legal Education seminars that have been approved by the Texas
Board of Legal Specialization are beneficial to persons who apply to take the TBLS examination.
To Maintain Certification
TBLS requires all certified paralegals to report annual substantial involvement percentages and pay annual fees.
Paralegals are mailed a form for reporting the annual information and paying the fees. Paralegals must complete the
annual process by April 15th of each year. The paralegal annual fee is $25 per certificate.
TBLS reviews hundreds of CLE courses for specialization approval, and updates its database daily with course
approval information. You can access TBLS CLE information online at “MyTBLS,” at www.tbls.org.
Board Certified paralegals have a continuing duty to disclose the following matters at any time during the
certification period: (i) any sanction(s) imposed against the Board Certified paralegal; (ii) a criminal indictment
or information filed against the Board Certified paralegal for a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or
other serious crime; or (iii) a conviction of (including probation or deferred adjudication), or fine, for a felony
or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or other serious crime as defined in the Attorney Standards – General
Requirements, Section III, B, 1. All such matters must be reported to TBLS within 30 days after the initiation of
such proceedings or imposition of sanction or judgment, as appropriate.
Certified Paralegals In Texas
- Civil Trial Law: 84
- Criminal Law: 10
- Estate Planning and Probate Law:14
- Family Law: 101
- Personal Injury Trial Law: 97
- Real Estate Law: 15
- Total Active Paralegal Certificates: 321
Procedure to Add Additional Testing Areas
The Texas Board of Legal Specialization has developed procedures to add specialty areas of law testing for
paralegals. Please go to http://www.tbls.org/Default.aspx? tabid=113 to view specific procedures to request
additional testing areas be created for paralegals.
How To Contact TBLS
- Gary NcNeil, Executive Director, Certification Substantial Involvement Inquiries
- Odessa Bradshaw, Associate Executive Director, Accreditation of Attorney
Certifying Organization Discipline
Disclosure Information
- Denise Treece Schumann, Member Services Manager, Website and Exam Information
- Priscilla Leal, Lead Certification Analyst, CLE Course Approval
- Brenda Martinez, Certification Analyst, Administrative Law, Bankruptcy Law, Civil
- Trial Law, Consumer and Commercial Law, Family Law, Labor and Employment Law, Workers’ Compensation
- Kathy Logue, Certification Analyst, Civil Appellate Law, Estate Planning and Probate Law, Health Law, Immigration
and Nationality Law, Oil, Gas and
Mineral Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law
- Molly Galvez, Certification Analyst, Criminal Law, Juvenile Law and Personal Injury Trial Law, Paralegal
Certification
- TBLS
P.O. Box 12487
Austin, TX 78711-2487
Centennial Towers
505 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 400
Austin, TX 78752
800-204-222 ext. 1454, 512-453-7266
FAX: 512-453-7220
www.tbls.org
TBLS Timeline
1987
A Task Force for Voluntary Certification was established. The Paralegal Division Board of Directors resolved to go
forward with a Texas exam, although no definitive exam was discussed. Educational programs were created in a list
format that offered paralegal training to paralegals. Mock grievance procedures were conducted by the Ethics
Committee.
1988
Funds were allocated for future implementation of a certification program.
1990
A Paralegal Division ad hoc committee was formed to digest the data on voluntary certification.
1991
The voluntary certification digest was released, the consensus was that the Paralegal Division would support a
certification exam. A Voluntary Certification Task Force was created to work with the
division.
1992
The Joint Task Force on Specialty Certification made significant advances toward establishing a plan toward
certification exams for paralegals. The Paralegal Division sponsored joint CLE seminars with local associations.
1994
The first specialty exams were given by TBLS on March 26, 1994 to 157 paralegals.
Heidi Beginski is a paralegal with the law firm of Rincon Mounts, P.C. in El Paso. Heidi is a Board Certified
Paralegal in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She served as past District 16
Director of the Paralegal Division and is currently serving as editor of the Texas Paralegal Journal.
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