The Bianchi Law Group’s Why Choose a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney

When you are facing criminal prosecution your interests are never as well protected as when you work with a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney, as deemed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Without this certification, you have no way of truly knowing an attorney’s trial experience and, therefore, their ability to secure the best results for you. Only through a willingness to go to trial, the experience to prepare for court and the knowledge and skills to try a case can an attorney truly be positioned to achieve the greatest outcome for a client.

Only 250 attorneys out of more than 98,000 lawyers in New Jersey are recognized by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as Certified Criminal Trial Attorneys. It is a coveted certification and a true measurement of the skill of an attorney in the field of criminal trial practice. At the Bianchi Law Group, LLC., Mr. Bianchi and Mr. Bruno are two (2) of these 250 lawyers in New Jersey. And, Mr. Bianchi is the only attorney in New Jersey that is a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney and that has also served as a head County Prosecutor who now handles criminal defense cases. We are proud of that singular distinction.

The New Jersey Supreme Court Board on Attorney Certification Statement on the Importance of Trial Certification:

“It can be confusing when trying to choose an attorney to meet your legal needs. You may have never needed an attorney before, so you ask a friend to refer you to someone or you look in the Yellow Pages where hundreds of attorneys are listed. But how do you choose one attorney over another and how can you be sure that you will choose the right attorney to handle your particular legal problem?

Finding the right attorney is to the benefit of both you and the attorney you choose. That is why the Supreme Court of New Jersey has directed the Board on Attorney Certification to administer the attorney certification program in an effort both to protect consumers from false advertising and to raise the level of competence of attorneys in this State. This program is designed to help you make an informed decision when seeking and selecting a lawyer.

The Board on Attorney Certification was established by the Supreme Court of New Jersey in 1980 for the purpose of helping consumers find attorneys who have a recognized level of competence in particular fields of law. Attorneys may be designated by the Supreme Court as “certified attorneys” if they: are able to demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge and skill in a specific area of law or practice; have passed a rigorous examination; and have been recognized by their peers as having sufficient skills and reputation in the designated specialty.

The Supreme Court, through recommendation by the Board, currently certifies attorneys in four areas: civil trial law, criminal trial law, matrimonial law, and workers’ compensation law.

An attorney must meet the following requirements to become certified:

• has been a member in good standing of the New Jersey Bar for at least five years;
• has taken a specific number of continuing legal education courses in the three years prior to filing an application;
• demonstrates substantial involvement in the preparation of litigated matters;
• demonstrates an unblemished reputation by submitting a list of attorneys and judges who will attest to the applicant’s character and ability; and
• passes a written examination covering various aspects of practice in the designated specialty.”

The Process and Why it Matters

The Certified Trial Attorney certification process is the only method of ensuring you are selecting an attorney that has the skill, experience, reputation and ethics recognized by the New Jersey State Supreme Court as sufficient enough to be recognized as an expert in the field of criminal trial work for that certification. This certification process is the only recognized vetting of the actual credentials, trials, peer review and testing of an attorney in New Jersey.

The Supreme Court’s certification program was specifically put in place to give prospective clients a qualified basis to choose an attorney with a proven track record of excellence, rather than having potential clients sift through thousands of lawyers claims of expertise that may be unsubstantiated. The certification process is an independent and rigorous review that takes years of experience and demonstration of excellence to achieve. The process comprises review by a Certification Committee of cases tried to conclusion, training and continuing education, inquiries of judges and adversaries before whom the attorney tried cases, and an extensive testing procedure, a test for which many lawyers do not even qualify to take due to the intense background qualifications needed to apply for certification.