The attorneys in our firm who are certified as specialists by the North Carolina State Bar have “Board Certified Family Law Specialist” in their signature blocks on their emails. It’s nice. It’s distinctive, and it lets the public know that they hold a special certification after undergoing testing and review by the State Bar.

The attorneys in our firm who aren’t yet certified have “Attorney at Law” under their name in the signature block.

Which title conveys higher status? Which is better?

I assumed that the “Board Certified” title would be the way to go.

I assumed that until one of our clients asked one of our specialists this question: “Are you a real lawyer?”

“Yes, why do you ask?” she responded.

“Because the other lawyers have ‘Attorney’ in their signatures and you don’t,” he explained.

Our “Specialist” went on to point out that she had been reviewed by judges and fellow attorneys, taken a test, and practiced for a prescribed number of years. She also explained that she had to take extra continuing education courses to maintain her certification.

Okay, so in that instance, the “Specialist” designation wasn’t working so well for her. That’s probably because she was dealing with an unsophisticated client, right?

Wrong. Her client is the chief executive officer of a very successful company. In his role, he regularly deals with attorneys. He employs several large firms to advise him on corporate matters. He’s a sophisticated consumer of legal services.

What’s the takeaway for our “Specialist”? She should probably include the title “Attorney” in the signature block. Moreover, she should probably stop assuming that those outside of our profession have the foggiest notion as to the meaning of our terms of art.

We think we’re cool when we get special designations and certifications. Your prospective clients might think you’re an inferior lawyer, and that’s not cool at all.