Adam Tarleton, a partner at Brooks Pierce, has received his certification as a specialist in estate planning from the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization (NCBLS).
To receive certification as an estate planning specialist by NCBLS, an attorney must be licensed in the state and be in good standing with the state bar. He or she must also provide the names of at least ten licensed attorneys and judges in good standing and who are familiar with estate planning and probate law to serve as references. In the five years prior to application, an attorney must average at least 500 hours a year in estate planning activities, with a minimum of 400 hours in any one year. During the three years prior to application, an attorney must also have 72 hours of continuing legal education credits in estate planning and related fields. Finally, applicants must pass a six-hour exam.
NCBLS was created by the North Carolina State Bar in 1983 to provide a method for qualified attorneys to become certified as specialists in the law. The North Carolina program is one of only 19 state legal certification programs in the United States and currently certifies attorneys in 12 different areas of law.
Working with entrepreneurs, family businesses, and nonprofits, Tarleton provides counsel on tax, estate planning, and business matters to help his clients protect and preserve their wealth and achieve their personal and financial goals. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before receiving his law degree from the UNC School of Law, where he graduated with highest honors and served as editor in chief of the North Carolina Law Review.