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Washington attorney, Sarah Beth Withers, was recently recognized as a Board Certified Specialist in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the North Carolina State Bar. Mrs. Withers is the executive director of the Washington firm of Inner Banks Legal Services, Inc. a not-for-profit which she founded in 2017. Mrs. Withers concentrates her legal practice in the areas of bankruptcy, guardianship, and small estates. She received her BA degree in criminal justice and psychology, summa cum laude, from North Carolina Wesleyan College, and her JD degree from Florida Coastal School of Law.
Mrs. Withers is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and a founding member of the North Carolina Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Coalition. The North Carolina State Bar, an agency of the State of North Carolina, certifies lawyers as specialists in designated practice areas as a service to the public. The program assists members of the public in the selection of legal counsel by identifying lawyers who have demonstrated special knowledge, skill, and proficiency in certain areas of law. The program also gives lawyers a credible way of making their expertise known to the public and other lawyers.
To become a board-certified specialist in a practice area, a lawyer must:
•Be an active member in good standing with the North Carolina State Bar for at least five years,
•Devote at least 25% of his or her practice to the specialty during the past five years (substantial involvement),
•Attend continuing legal education (CLE) seminars in the specialty,
•Be favorably evaluated by other lawyers and judges (peer review), and
•Pass a written examination in the specialty practice area.
Certification is granted for a period of five years. To maintain certification, a lawyer must again demonstrate that he or she is substantially involved in the practice area; attend CLE seminars in the practice area; and be favorably evaluated by peers.
For more information about the North Carolina Legal Specialization program, and to view a list of board certified specialists by practice area, please visit the Legal Specialization website at nclawspecialists.gov, or call the State Bar at 919.828.4620.