Certification by American Bankruptcy Board of Certification

Steven R. Neuner Esq. is certified as a Business Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Bankruptcy Board of Certification. Congress has recognized, in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, the additional value that certified attorneys have to their clients. The following is from the American Bankruptcy Board of Certification Brochure on Board Certification. For more information, please feel free to visit www.abcworld.org/whycertatty.htm

Bankruptcy is a difficult and demanding process. Often, when bankruptcy becomes necessary, it is the result of some unforeseen event or external circumstance. Bankruptcy is not a "quick fix" and can involve some very complicated areas of law. For the most part, federal law governs bankruptcy in the United States, although several states have peculiarities unique to those states. Because bankruptcy law is mostly federal, the American Board of Certification was created to develop an examination and a set of standards that can be used nationwide to measure an attorney's skill, knowledge and competence in bankruptcy law.

What Does Board Certification Mean?

It Is Strong Evidence of Attorney Experience In a Complex Area of Law
It means that the certified attorney has met rigorous, objective standards and has demonstrated knowledge in bankruptcy law. Hiring an attorney with expertise in any specialized field of law can be a bewildering experience. As a client, you want to make sure your counsel is experienced in the particular field. Unfortunately, prospective clients usually have little objective criteria on which to rely. The American Board of Certification's (ABC) programs are designed to identify and recognize those attorneys in consumer or business bankruptcy who have met or exceeded rigorous certification standards relating to experience, continuing legal education, integrity, and peer review, in addition to demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of bankruptcy law. The goal of the ABC is to provide meaningful information to those seeking bankruptcy law services to enable them to make informed decisions in selecting experienced bankruptcy counsel.

What is The ABC?
The American Board of Certification is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the public and improving the quality of the bankruptcy bar. It is the only national bankruptcy certification program, offering certification in business and consumer bankruptcy law and creditors' rights law. The ABC's Business and Consumer Bankruptcy Certification Programs are accredited by the American Bar Association. The ABC is sponsored by the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the Commercial Law League of America. The ABC Board of Directors consists of many of the nation's finest bankruptcy and creditors’ rights lawyers, former judges, and law professors. ABC certification encourages bankruptcy attorneys to strive toward excellence and recognizes those attorneys who have met the ABC's rigorous standards.

How High Are The Certification Standards?
To become certified as a bankruptcy specialist by the ABC, an applicant must successfully complete a comprehensive day-long written examination covering (1) general bankruptcy law, (2) legal ethics, and (3) business or consumer bankruptcy. In addition, each applicant must show significant experience in bankruptcy law matters and a substantial dedication of their practice to such matters, as well as providing professional references and participating in at least 60 hours of continuing legal education over a three-year period.

Recertification
Initial certification is for a period of up to five years, after which certified bankruptcy attorneys must show that they continue to have active bankruptcy practice, have participated in continuing legal education, have good standing in the legal profession, and can provide peer references.

You Have a Choice
When you are considering hiring a bankruptcy attorney, you have a right to know which attorneys have met the ABC's stringent standards. Why settle for anything less?

Please read a notice to "assisted persons" about bankruptcy required by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 by clicking here (when done, close that page to come back here):