The Florida Bar recently certified 221 Florida lawyers as specialists in 19 areas of legal practice, including 109 attorneys certified in the newly approved construction law area. In Jacksonville, 15 attorneys received their Board certification in six different areas of law. Board certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice.
“With professionalism and competence at its core, The Florida Bar’s certification program sets ongoing goals to make us better lawyers and to improve the system of justice for the public we serve,” said Bar President Alan Bookman. “This evaluation of competence and character offers an opportunity for us as lawyers and provides an unparalleled benchmark for the public.”
Certified attorneys are the only lawyers allowed to identify or advertise themselves as “Florida Bar Board Certified,” as specialists or as experts.
Certification is the highest level of recognition by The Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys in the areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida. The newly certified lawyers are listed below.
A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets the standards prescribed by the state’s Supreme Court may become board certified in one or more of the 20 certification fields.
Approximately 4,000 Florida lawyers are board certified. Minimum requirements for certification are listed below; each area of certification may contain higher or additional standards.
• A minimum of five years in law practice
• A satisfactory showing of substantial involvement in the field of law for which certification is sought
• A passing grade on the examination required of all applicants
• Satisfactory peer review assessment of competence in the specialty field as well as character, ethics and professionalism in the practice of law
• Satisfaction of the certification area’s continuing legal education requirements Board certification is valid for five years, during which time the attorney must continue to practice law and attend Florida Bar-approved continuing legal education courses. To be recertified, requirements similar to those for initial certification must be met. Not all qualified lawyers are certified, but those who are board certified have taken the extra step to have their competence and experience recognized.
For more information, please visit The Florida Bar Web site at
www.floridabar.org/certification or contact The Florida Bar’s Legal Specialization & Education Department at 850/561-5842.
The following are Jacksonville-area lawyers newly certified by The Florida Bar listed by their specialty areas:
Aviation
Sean B. Cronin
Business Litigation
Wiley Braxton Gillam IV
Civil Trial
Kenneth Brian Wright
Construction Law
Fred Eugene Atwood, Jr.
Henry George Bachara, Jr.
G. Kenneth Norrie
Jeffrey Charles Regan
Troy Kelley Smith
Clemon Warren Tripp, Jr.
Arnold D. Tritt, Jr.
Edward M. Whelan
Labor and Employment Law
Thomas Albert Delegal III
Leonard S. Magid
Wills, Trusts and Estates Law
Robert Frederick Iseley, Jr.
Robert Neal Miller