What does it mean for a personal injury attorney to be board certified in Texas?
Website design By BotEap.comWhen searching for the right attorney to handle your accident case, you will notice that only a few attorneys advertise that they are Board Certified in personal injury trial law. But what does this really mean?
Website design By BotEap.comIn Texas, Board Certification means that an attorney has substantial and relevant experience in a select field of law, as well as demonstrated and proven special competence in that area of law. Only 10% of the 70,000 attorneys in Texas have earned the right to call themselves specialists in their field by earning Board Certification.
Website design By BotEap.comTo become Board Certified in personal injury trial law, an attorney must:
Website design By BotEap.com1) devote a minimum of 25% of your practice to personal injury trial law during the three years prior to your application;
Website design By BotEap.com2) try a minimum of ten contested jury trials, five of which must be personal injury cases. The attorney must have spent twenty days at trial, at least ten of which must have been personal injury trials.
Website design By BotEap.com3) submit at least five references (including at least one Texas judge) who have knowledge of the individual’s judicial skills, and’
Website design By BotEap.com4) take and pass the comprehensive one-day Board Certification exam.
Website design By BotEap.comTo recertify (which must be done every five years), the attorney must spend at least 25% of their practice in personal injury law and complete a total of 100 hours of continuing legal education during the previous five years. .
Website design By BotEap.comThe exam itself and the requirements are promulgated by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Board certification is a way to demonstrate that a particular attorney has taken the time to learn their area of law and has gained substantial experience in the field.
Website design By BotEap.comIn Texas, the publicity rules for lawyers prohibit a lawyer from presenting himself as an expert in a particular area of practice. The only exception to this is that an attorney certified by the Board in a particular area of practice may indicate so in their advertisements. It is against the rules of ethics for an attorney who is not board certified to claim that she is.
Website design By BotEap.comConsumers can find a Board Certified attorney by visiting the Texas Board of Legal Specialization website. In addition to a collection of other resources on how to evaluate and select your attorney, they maintain a list of all Board Certified attorneys in their various fields, including contact information and a link to their website. This is a great place to start your search when looking for legal representation.