WHAT IS A BOARD CERTIFIED CIVIL APPELLATE LAWYER?
An attorney who is Board Certified by the TEXAS BOARD OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION in Civil Appellate Law must be experienced in handling appeals in appellate courts or must have served a substantial amount of time as a judge of a civil appellate court. The attorney must have prepared briefs and performed oral arguments in a number of civil appeals. Several of the appeals must have been handled by the attorney as lead counsel and some must have involved appeals from final judgments to the highest court of jurisdiction. Extensive knowledge of both appellate advocacy and trial procedure is also required.
To become Board Certified in Appellate Law, an attorney must have:
• Been licensed to practice law for a least five years;
• Devoted a required percentage of practice to civil appellate law for at least three years;
• Handled a wide variety of civil appellate law matters to demonstrate experience and involvement;
• Attended civil appellate continuing education seminars regularly to keep legal training up to date;
• Been evaluated by fellow lawyers and judges;
• Passed a day long written examination.
Initial certification is valid for a period of five years. To remain certified, an attorney must apply for recertification every five years and meet practice, peer review and continuing legal education requirements for the specialty field.
The consumer can identify a Civil Appellate Law Board Certified attorney in one of many ways. A Civil Appellate Law Board Certified attorney is entitled to indicate certification on business cards and letterhead by stating “Board Certified - Civil Appellate Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization.” The attorney may also display the Certificate of Special Competence awarded by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and list the certification in legal directories and telephone listings under “Attorney - Board Certified.”
THE TEXAS BOARD OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION
This board was created by, and operates under the authority of the SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS. Its members are appointed by the President of the STATE BAR OF TEXAS. The Board administers the program by which an attorney may earn a certificate of special competence in a particular field of law. The program is voluntary and is funded entirely by fees imposed on participating lawyers.
(Quoted from The Appellate Lawyer)
See www.TBLS.org
