What is a Certified Trial Specialist?

What It Takes To Be a Board Certified Specialist

Mitch Grissim • Nashville, Tennessee Attorney • 27 Years of Experience

It's hard enough to become an attorney, what with four years of college, followed by three years of law school packed with long hours of intensive study. Little wonder that only a small percentage of lawyers become Board-Certified Specialists.

Mitch Grissim is a Specialist in Civil Trial Advocacy, certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) and the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. In fact, he was one of the first attorneys in Tennessee to earn this distinction.

Stringent Requirements for Certification

You cannot become a certified specialist before fulfilling numerous requirements. These include handling jury trials, then gathering recommendations from judges and other members of the Bar Association.

After that, if you perform well enough on a grueling exam, you're certified.

In short, certification takes a lot of hard work and focus.

But That's Not All …

Even after initial certification, you still have to maintain it. Certified attorneys are held to a higher standard of conduct than other attorneys. They must submit an annual review proving they have not engaged in any misconduct. They have to be recertified every five years to show they still meet the qualifications.

Why Should You Hire a Certified Specialist?

As society grows more complex, so does the law. To be a more effective advocate, many lawyers specialize in an area, or areas, of law.

Hiring a Board Certified Specialist assures you that your attorney excels in that area of law. Otherwise, you might end up with someone who merely "dabbles" in personal injury cases.