MAINTAINING YOUR CWLS CREDENTIAL
Child Welfare Law Specialist certification is valid for five years before attorneys must apply for recertification.
Annual Report
Child Welfare Law Specialists must submit an annual report to NACC regarding disclosure of conduct and an annual $120 fee. You will receive an email reminder from Certemy when it is time to log in and submit your report (60 days before your certification anniversary).
Child Welfare Law Specialists must submit notice of any disciplinary action to NACC as soon as permitted by law, not just on the annual report.
Recertification
NACC and the ABA require Child Welfare Law Specialists to recertify every five years to help ensure the integrity of the credential. You can log in to Certemy to complete this process any time in the 365 days before your certification expires; NACC recommends allowing at least four months.
Recertification is similar to the initial application process (minus the writing sample and exam). The requirements include:
- Resume/CV demonstrating continued involvement in child welfare law. NACC also accepts a Substantial Involvement Waiver for those involved in the field in an alternate capacity (judicial role, executive, policy advocate, law faculty, etc.) (Waiver not available in Indiana)
- A listing of at least 36 hours of child welfare-related CLEs over the past 5 years (60 hours in CA; 75 hours in SC)
- Good standing and disciplinary history documentation
- Peer review responses
- $300 recertification fee, which includes your annual dues and the latest edition of Child Welfare Law and Practice (the Red Book). Any outstanding prior fees must be paid before applying for recertification.
Once you complete all steps, NACC will verify and de-identify your recertification application and send it to the CWLS Certification Committee for review.
Standards for CWLS Certification
See Section 5 of the Standards for CWLS Certification for more details on recertification. NACC recently implemented revisions to the General, California, and South Carolina Standards. Revisions to the Indiana Standards are pending approval.
- General Standards (all states except CA, IN, SC)
- California Standards
- Indiana Standards (2024)
- South Carolina Standards
- Summary of 2026 Standards Revisions
Using Certemy
Use Certemy to:
- Monitor annual reporting requirements and receive due date reminders
- Track progress of recertification
- Receive email notifications
- Keep track of CWLS files and documents in a “digital wallet”
- Update contact information
After Certification
ADVERTISE YOUR CWLS CERTIFICATION
Advertise your specialty in compliance with Rules of Professional Conduct.
ADD CERTIFICATION TO SOCIAL MEDIA
To add Child Welfare Law Specialist to LinkedIn, go to your profile, click “add profile section”, and then “add licenses & certifications.” Enter Child Welfare Law Specialist as the Certification Name, then type and select National Association of Counsel for Children from Certification Authority.
ORDER A CWLS CERTIFICATE
Certified Child Welfare Law Specialists may order a hardcopy certificate of legal specialization. NACC prints this certificate on letter-sized (8.5x11in.) cardstock. Email us and specify exactly how your name should appear and where to send it. Please allow two weeks for delivery.
ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF CWLS STATUS
- Complimentary, voluntary NACC membership
- Discounts on conference registration, training, Red Book
- Free Red Book at Recertification
- Member Webinars