Roberts & Stevens attorney Mary Robinson Hervig recognized as Board Certified Specialist in estate planning

Roberts & Stevens attorney Mary Robinson Hervig was recently recognized as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning by the North Carolina State Bar.

Hervig focuses her practice on assisting clients with advance medical directives (or “living wills”), powers of attorney, wills, and trusts, including tax planning. She also assists personal representatives and trustees with the administration of estates and trusts in North Carolina. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Hervig joined Roberts & Stevens in 2011.

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 be certified as 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.

Roberts & Stevens is one of the largest law firms in Western North Carolina and serves regional and national clients in 30 practice areas and industries. To learn more, visit www.roberts-stevens.com.