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Specialization Home Page
MSBA
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The MSBA certifies specialists in two fields:
Civil Trial
Real PropertyFAQ
Contact:
Jessica Thomas
Certified Specialist Manager
Minnesota State Bar Association
600 Nicollet Mall #380
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612/278-6318
800/882-6722
Certification
When you're on top of things
Next Exam
February, 2010. The exam is offered in February of even numbered years.
Certification Benefits:
- Provides peer and judicial recognition of real property expertise
- Permits advertisement as a specialist in real property law
- Improves and maintains practitioner's knowledge of real property practice
- Client recognition of attorney's certification enhances attorney credibility
- Listing with specialists in the MSBA Certification searchable directory
- Ad listing Specialists in Bench & Bar Directory - asterisk signifying certified specialist in individual listings
"If a lawyer is certified as a real property specialist, a buyer of legal services should be able to rely on the fact that the lawyer has survived a rigorous application and approval process aimed at identifying the skills and knowledge that real property specialists should have."
--Thomas Wolf, Minnesota State Board of Legal Certification
| Step 1. | Complete Application |
| 3 years of practice | |
| 25 % of attorney's practice/not less than three hundred (300) hours spent in the area of real property law | |
| Full disclosure of any ethical complaints or malpractice claims | |
| Current with continuing legal education credit requirements | |
| 30 Real Property CLE hours completed in 3 years before applying | |
| Five positive references attesting to applicant's competence, involvement in real property law and reputation for ethical conduct | |
| Initial Certification Application | Certification Standards | |
| Step 2. | Pass Examination |
| Test areas: Real Property areas defined below; ethics as it relates to the practice of Real Property law | |
| Exam is offered bi-yearly by the MSBA | |
| Examination Facts | |
| Step 3. | Real Property Board Approval |
| Six member Board | |
| Board reviews application and determines whether applicant has met all standards for certification | |
| Real Property Certification Board |
Maintaining Certification.
- Specialists must submit an Annual Audit Form providing information that they continue to meet the requirements for certification.
- Every six years, specialists must be recertified by submitting a Recertification Application.
- Materials are reviewed to ensure that applicants continue to meet the standards for certification as a Real Property specialist.
The specialty field of real property law is the practice of law in Minnesota dealing with matters relating to real property transactions including, but not limited to, real estate conveyances, title searches, leases, condominiums, mortgages and other liens, property taxes, real estate development, real estate financing, and determination of property rights, all with consideration to related fields of law.
Certified
Real Property specialists must have an active involvement
in at least three of the following practice areas:
| Areas of Practice | Number
of matters handled in the last three years |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 - 5 | 6 - 10 | 11 - 20 | 20+ | |
| Purchases and sales (includes purchase agreements, conveyancing documents and representation at closing | |||||
| Mortgages (representing borrowers or lenders) | |||||
| Mortgage foreclosures and contract for deed cancellations | |||||
| Landlord/tenant | |||||
| Title examinations | |||||
| Land use regulation (zoning and subdivision) | |||||
| Commercial and residential real estate developments | |||||
| Construction contracts | |||||
| Mechanics Liens | |||||
| Eminent domain proceedings | |||||