National Association of Estate Planners and Councils

Upcoming Review Course and Exam:  June 20 and 21, 2024

WealthCounsel and the Estate Law Specialist Board have teamed up to provide an opportunity for members of both organizations to participate in the advanced estate planning review course and online proctored examination for the Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS) Certification. Certification as an Estate Planning Law Specialist is the most effective way for attorneys to elevate their practice and to separate from the competition. Available through the Estate Law Specialist Board, Inc., this ABA-accredited, attorney-run subsidiary of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, provides the only national program for board-certification as an estate planning specialist. See more information and standards.  There are two parts to the virtual experience and sign-up process; the review course and the proctored exam.

Part One – Register for the Review Course
Thursday, June 20, 2024 ∙ 1:00 pm ET – 4:00 pm ET The cost of the review course is $149; registration and payment is handled directly with WealthCounsel. The course will provide a comprehensive review of the materials covered on the EPLS certification exam. It assumes a solid familiarity with estate planning and provides detailed review of the most commonly presented topics so that upon completion, attendees will be prepared to sit for the exam. The course will be presented by Soraya Tabibi Aguirre, JD, EPLS, AEP®, a partner with Aguirre Riley in Reno, Nevada, W. Lewis Jenkins, JD, LL.M. (Taxation), LL.M. (Legal Philosophy & History), EPLS, a partner with Jenkins / Dedmon Group LLP in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and Phoebe Stone, JD, MA (Bioethics), Manager of Trusts & Estates Education, Senior T&E Faculty with WealthCounsel. Individuals are welcome to attend the review course without registering to sit for the exam.

Part Two – Register for the Proctored Exam before May 31, 2024
Friday, June 21, 2024 ∙ 2:00 pm ET – 5:00 pm ET The cost of the proctored exam and application fee is $450 for NAEPC and WealthCounsel members; registration and payment is handled directly with the Estate Law Specialist Board via the NAEPC website. Participants will receive the application for certification after completing an online registration and it must be completed and returned to the Estate Law Specialist Board on or before June 7, 2024. No refunds will be issued after the application has been submitted. An attorney is welcome to sit for the exam without attending the review course, but must register and complete the application June 7, 2024, to do so. Prior to the date of the exam, attendees will receive detailed information that includes instructions to join the virtual exam room.

Many states permit lawyers to hold themselves out as specialists if a certification is awarded by an ABA-accredited program. Interested attorneys should consult the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and refer to the rules of the state(s) in which he/she is licensed to determine whether restrictions are placed on use of the EPLS certification.


Our Mission 

To advance a reliable national certification of an enhanced level of competency in estate planning for consumers, lawyers, and referral sources. Requisite skills are obtained through experience, rigorous testing, peer review, and continuing legal education.


The Estate Law Specialist Board, Inc., an ABA-accredited, attorney-run subsidiary of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils in Cleveland, Ohio, administers the only national, board certification of an attorney as an Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS). We believe that specialization is the future of practicing law and, as specialization increases, it will benefit lawyers and the public.

Attorneys who become Board-certified under this program demonstrate a high level of professionalism and commitment to the concept of specialization. We believe that as attorney specialization increases, it will benefit not only lawyers but the clients they serve. This program is currently the only program, other than certain state bar association programs which are only for residents of their particular states, to Board-certify attorneys as Estate Planning Law Specialists. The Estate Law Specialst Board, Inc., was initially accredited by the ABA in 1996 and has successfully attained reaccrediation every five years since that time. The most recent reaccreditation was awarded to the ELSB, Inc., on February 17, 2020.

To obtain Board-certified status, an attorney must meet the following requirements:

  • Five or more years as an estate planning attorney during which at least 40% of the attorney’s practice is devoted to estate planning at an enhanced level of skill and expertise
  • 36 or more hours of continuing legal education in estate planning topics earned during the three years preceding filing of the application
  • Verification of professional liability insurance coverage at a minimum of $1,000,000 per claim
  • Recommendations from at least five colleagues, a majority of whom must have known the applicant for a minimum of 3 years, who are not related to or within the same firm as the applicant who can attest to the applicant's reputation for involvement in estate planning in a professional manner and who can provide specific information about the applicant's competence and qualifications to practice in the field at the enhanced level of skill and expertise required for this designation
  • Passing a comprehensive, national examination designed for actively practicing estate planning attorneys

See complete details about standards for certification.

Many states permit lawyers to hold themselves out as specialists if their certification is awarded by an ABA-accredited program. Each lawyer must consult the rules in his or her own state to determine any restrictions to the use of the EPLS certification. Also, you may wish to consult the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct.

Find an Estate Planning Law Specialist near you.