What It Means to be a Florida Board Certified Trial Lawyer

Board certification is a major designation within the Florida Bar, and helps people find quality legal representation in the state. The program was started in 1982 and is administered by the Florida Supreme Court.

An attorney who is board certified has demonstrated having “special knowledge, skills, and proficiency” in an area of legal practice as well as “character, ethics and a reputation for professionalism in the practice of law.” Board certified attorneys are “those who stand out from others in all the ways that make an attorney outstanding.”

Attorneys voluntarily apply to become certified. They must have practiced law for at least five years and can demonstrate a substantial amount of experience in a particular area of the law.

There are 24 areas of the law where an attorney can become board certified in the state of Florida. Those areas include: adoption law, business litigation, civil trial, construction law, criminal appellate, elder law, labor and employment law and workman’s compensation. Florida has the largest number of areas of expertise in the country.

The process is rigorous. Only six percent - roughly 4,600 – of all the licensed attorneys in Florida are board certified in one of these 24 areas. Attorneys must pass an exam to be certified, and each exam is different and geared toward the different areas of expertise. The program’s slogan is “Evaluated for professionalism, tested for expertise.”

Attorneys are required to renew their board certification every five years. With the certification, attorneys can call themselves an “expert” or “specialist” in a particular area of the law. More so, they are also allowed to place the B.C.S (Board Certified Specialist) title after their name.

People who are looking for an attorney can start by searching for ones who are board certified in their area of need. For example, attorney James O. Cunningham, P.A. is a board certified Florida trial lawyer.

If the attorneys are board certified, they will provide professional and quality legal representation. To learn more about how a board certified attorney can benefit your legal needs, call the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. at 877-FL-INJURY (1-877-354-6587).