Step 1: Register and prepare for the Legal Specialist Examination.
Step 2: Gain experience, complete education, and secure references, either before or after the examination.
Exam results are valid up to three years after the exam. The 2023 Legal Specialist Examination results were sent via email on March 15, 2024, to the preferred email address identified on your Admissions Applicant Portal.
If you passed the 2023 examination, you have until April 26, 2025, to submit your post-examination application or request an extension for good cause through the Applicant Portal. Extensions cannot be granted beyond January 2027. The most common reason an extension is requested is that a person has not yet completed the full five years in practice required for a review of the application.
After passing the exam, you can submit a post-exam application for certification through the Applicant Portal. Your certification application will need the following information for the California Board of Legal Specialization (CBLS) to review:
You may begin tracking these requirements through the Applicant Portal before taking the exam. Note that you will not be able to submit your application until after successfully passing the Legal Specialist Examination.
The review process generally takes about six months from the time you file your post-examination application.
Initial Certification fee: $300Annual fee: $360Recertification fee: $350 (every five years)
Effective 2025, Legal Specialization fees will increase. See new fees below.
Initial Certification fee: $308 Annual fee: $370 Recertification fee: $359 (every five years)