RIVERSIDE, Calif.  _  At 29, Kira L. Klatchko has become the only attorney in Riverside County who is certified as an appellate law specialist, according to the State Bar of California.

Klatchko passed a lengthy written examination and successfully reached other rigorous milestones to attain the designation. The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization informed Klatchko of her specialist status in a letter dated June 4.

“It is an honor to have qualified for it,” said Klatchko, who met her goal of becoming a  certified law specialist before age 30.

        
Of the 227,226 attorneys licensed to practice law in California, there are 263 attorneys in the state who are certified appellate law specialists in both civil and criminal matters, according to the state bar.

        
Klatchko is the only attorney in Riverside County listed on the state bar’s Web site as a certified appellate law specialist.

        
Richard T. Egger, managing partner of BB&K’s Ontario office and a litigation attorney who works closely with Klatchko, said the firm is proud of her accomplishment.

        
“Having a certification distinguishes you in the field of attorneys – it is a very small and select group of attorneys who are able to call themselves specialists,” Egger said.

        
Klatchko, who grew up in Palm Springs and still lives there, joined BB&K in 2005 to help launch the firm’s appellate practice. As a senior associate in BB&K’s Indian Wells office, Klatchko oversees both state and federal appeals arising from civil cases that involve cities, businesses and families, and such varied topics as the environment, divorce and probate.

        
“That is the best thing about this practice – it is especially dynamic and involves all sorts of issues,” Klatchko said.

           
Klatchko said it is particularly important to have at least one certified appellate law specialist in Riverside County.

           
“We have one of the busiest state appellate courts right in downtown Riverside,” she said. “The need for a specialist in the county was extremely high and it helps to give the area some credence in the community of appellate law.”

           
The state bar offers certifications in 11 specialist areas. Candidates must demonstrate a high level of experience in the specialty field by meeting specific task and experience requirements, fulfilling ongoing education requirements and receiving favorable evaluations from other attorneys and judges familiar with their work, according to the state bar.

           
“There is a reason it is a specialty; there are a lot of complexities and nuances in filing an appeal and navigating the matter through the process,” Klatchko said.

           
Klatchko, who will start a two-year term in September as a director-at-large for the Riverside County Bar Association, also served three terms as chair of the association’s appellate section.

        
Last year, she was appointed to a three-year term to the State Bar of California's Standing Committee on Appellate Courts where she is the only representative from the Inland region. 

        
The committee reviews proposed state legislation and rules of the court that affect appellate courts and operations. The committee can also initiate its own proposed legislation and rules.

"I felt it was important to participate because the committee's recommendations carry weight and may impact the appeals process throughout the state and in the Inland region, where we have our own unique concerns," she said.

Klatchko graduated from UC Davis School of Law in 2004.