JOIN US FOR A FREE NBTA CERTIFIED LITIGATION EXCELLENCE WEBINAR
Topic: Storytelling in Trial:How to Weave a Thread through Opening, Direct, Cross and Closing
Thursday, October 22, 2026 @ 1:00 pm EDT.
Register here

Presented by NBTA Board Certified Member, J. Craig Williams: Using a recurring civil-trial hypothetical, the programdistinguishes case theory, theme, and narrative thread andshows how each should connect to the elements, evidence,jury instructions, and verdict form.Participants will learn to make a measured promise in opening,organize direct examination into witness-centered chapters,and design cross-examination as a sequence of short,supported factual propositions.The presentation also demonstrates how to convert the trialrecord into a verdict-first closing that joins the openingpromise to admitted evidence and governing law.Throughout, the program emphasizes credibility, evidentiaryfoundation, ethical candor, and practical techniques that makea complex civil case understandable without embellishing oroverstating the proof.

NBTA FALL 2026 EXAMINATION INFORMATION 
Exam Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026 (All specialty areas)
Deadline to Register for Examination: Sunday, October 11, 2026, @ 11:59 pm
Mandatory Mock Exams Open: Wednesday, October 14, 2026– Saturday, October 24, 2026 @ 12 pm EST
(Mock exams must be taken, or you will be ineligible to sit for the exam.)
Register here

NBTA SPRING 2027 EXAMINATION INFORMATION 
Exam Date: Saturday, May 1, 2027 (All specialty areas)
Deadline to Register for Examination: Sunday, April 4, 2027, @ 11:59 pm
Mandatory Mock Exams Open: Wednesday, April 7, 2026 – Saturday, April 17, 2027 @ 12 pm EST
(Mock exams must be taken, or you will be ineligible to sit for the exam.)
Register here

*If you are already an applicant but have not paid for the exam, please log in to your file. You will be able to register/pay for the exam.
*Florida applicants: If you are contemplating applying for NBTA board certification in civil trial law, criminal trial law, or family trial law, please DO NOT APPLY unless you are already board certified by the Florida Bar in a similar specialty area. 
*Texas applicants: If you are contemplating applying for NBTA board certification in civil trial law, criminal trial law, or family trial law, please DO NOT APPLY unless you are already board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the same specialty area.  If you are contemplating applying for NBTA board certification in truck accident law, please DO NOT APPLY unless you are already board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. If you are interested in applying for certification with the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, please contact them at 833-413-0253.

FALL 2026 NBTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
October 3, 2026 ~ Bozeman, MT

The NBTA has signed a Joint Statement with the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Defending the Rule of Law Amid Rising Attacks on the Judiciary and Legal Profession. 
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*NBTA Members, please log in to your profile and access member resources to see upcoming NBTA and ABOTA webinars