What is a Certified Elder Law Attorney?

Some attorneys have earned the designation Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA). These attorneys have the enhanced knowledge, skills, and experience to be properly identified to the public as Certified Elder Law Attorneys. The National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) has developed and published rules and regulations regarding certification. NELF, a non-profit organization founded in 1993, is dedicated to the development and improvement of the professional competence of lawyers in the area of Elder Law. 

The criteria for certification is as follows:

Licensure - Attorney must be licensed to practice law in at least one state or the District of Columbia

Practice - Attorney must have practiced law during the five years preceding their application and must still be practicing law.

Integrity/Good Standing - Attorney must be a member in good standing of the bars in all places in which they are licensed.

Substantial Involvement - Attorney must have spent an average of at least 16 hours per week practicing Elder Law during the three years preceding their application. In addition, they must have handled at least 60 Elder Law matters during those three years with a specified distribution among subjects as defined by the Foundation.

Continuing Legal Education - Attorney must have participated in at least 45 hours of continuing legal education in Elder Law during the preceding three years.

Peer Review/Professional References - Attorney must submit the names of five references from attorneys familiar with their competence and qualifications in Elder Law. These persons must themselves satisfy specified criteria.

Examination - Attorney must pass a full-day certification examination administered by NELF which is designed to demonstrate their specialized Elder Law knowledge and skills.

 

 



A non-profit organization founded in 1993, dedicated to the development and improvement of the professional competence of lawyers in the area of Elder Law. The purpose of its certification program is to identify those lawyers who have the enhanced knowledge, skills, experience and proficiency to be properly identified to the public as Certified Elder Law Attorneys.  For more information about Elder Law certification, please visit the National Elder Law Foundation at www.nelf.org.

NELF staff can be reached by mail, phone and fax at:

National Elder Law Foundation
6336 N. Oracle Rd., Ste. 326, #136 Tucson, AZ  85704
Phone: (520) 881-1076
Fax: (520) 881-1076

We've included some quick links from the NELF website for your convenience:

- Exam Calendar

- Application Forms

- Recertification Application