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.
The Legal Specialization examination application is administered through the Admissions Applicant Portal.
All California licensees have a current Applicant Portal account. Note that a new account should not be registered or created. If you need assistance logging in, please see our Applicant Portal FAQs or fill out the Licensee Record and Compliance Inquiry form. Through the Applicant Portal, licensees can register for the Legal Specialist Examination, apply for initial certification or recertification, report Legal Specialist Continuing Legal Education (LSCLE) Compliance, or submit other legal specialization requests. Current certified specialists can find initial certification dates, current certification terms, and LSCLE compliance dates in the Applicant Portal.
Note that (1) the Applicant Portal and your My State Bar Profile utilize separate login credentials; and (2) any updates to your contact information in the Applicant Portal does not update your information in your My State Bar Profile, or vice-versa. All State Bar licensees are required to update their information within 30 days of a change.
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 had 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 typically takes about six months from the time you submit your post-examination application.
Effective 2025, Legal Specialization fees will increase. See new fees below.
Initial Certification fee: $308 Annual fee: $370 Recertification fee: $359 (every five years)