Preparing for the Exam

Who is Eligible?

You are eligible to register for the CELA® exam if you meet the following criteria:

  1. Licensed Attorney: You must be a licensed attorney and an active member of the bar in at least one U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any U.S. territory.

  2. Good Standing: You must maintain good standing with all bars in the jurisdictions where you are licensed to practice law.

  3. Legal Practice Experience: You must have been actively engaged in the practice of law for a consecutive five-year period immediately prior to submitting your short form application. Alternatively, full-time service as a judge or as a law professor at an accredited U.S. law school may be considered in lieu of this requirement, subject to the discretion of the NELF Standards Committee.

  4. Elder Law Practice: Over the past three years, you must have dedicated an average of at least 16 hours per week to elder law and provided legal services in at least 60 elder law matters, as defined in Section 5.1.4.2 (A) of the NELF Rules and Regulations.

  5. Continuing Legal Education (CLE): Within the three years prior to your short form application, you must have completed at least 45 hours of CLE specific to elder law. Up to 5 hours per year may be credited for teaching, speaking at seminars, or publishing related content, subject to the discretion of the Standards Committee.

  6. References: You must provide the names of five attorneys who are familiar with your competence and qualifications in elder law. These references must not be related to you or engaged in legal practice with you. At least three of these attorneys should have devoted a minimum of 800 hours annually to elder law practice over the last three years.

Note: All experience and CLE requirements must be fully completed at the time you submit your short form application.

How to Apply

To take the CELA exam, you must:

  1. Submit the Short Form Application and Exam Registration: Both forms must be submitted to NELF to be eligible. The short form application remains valid for two years.

  2. Complete the Long Form Application: This can be submitted either before or after passing the CELA exam.

  3. Meet Submission Deadlines: Ensure all applications are submitted to NELF by the specified deadlines listed on the forms.

Be sure to review the NELF Handbook, Rules and Regulations, and carefully follow all instructions on the application forms to avoid delays or errors in the submission process.