They were lawyers, but in their other lives they were also musicians, chefs, world travelers, teachers, candidates, artists, judges, FBI agents, fishermen and photographers. It was a diverse crowd that attended the August meeting of the Tallahassee Bar Association, and they were there to discuss Florida’s board certification.
“I was already working on my application for board certification in appellate law,” revealed Christine Graves, B.C.S. Appellate Law, Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A. “When I attended an interview with a potential client. They were looking at a few different firms, but we had a great meeting and I felt pretty confident. When they called back, they said that they had gone with another attorney. He explained that in the final decision, the only outstanding difference was that the other lawyer was board certified. That certainly gave me a boost to get it done!”
Other panelists had different stories to tell. Joseph R. Boyd, B.C.S. Marital and Family Law and Real Estate, Boyd & Durant, P.L., remembered a time when the only board certified attorneys in Florida practiced in Tallahassee or Orlando. Mr. Boyd has been certified since 1987. “There were a lot of cases going back and forth between Tallahassee and Orlando. We all knew that if a client in one city hired a board certified attorney, then the other side was going to hire one too. How could they not?”
More and more, board certification is becoming a benchmark for clients trying to decide which attorney to hire. With over 26 practice areas of certification in Florida, it’s easier for clients to find a board certified lawyer for their specific legal needs.
Do you want to stand out from the crowd?
Joe Bodiford, B.C.S. Criminal Trial – Bodiford Law, P.S. asked the audience to, “Imagine a football stadium packed full of attorney’s, and the client stands on the 50-yard line. How are you going to stand out from the crowd?”
Florida’s certification program will make you stand out, but it’s a process, and according to Steve Sellers, B.C.S. Civil Trial, Business Litigation, and Construction Law – Dudley, Sellers, Healy & Heath, P.L.L.C., it’s worth it. Over a span of 8 years Mr. Sellers became certified in 3 different areas. “It’s not easy. You must study. But I will say that studying for the exams benefited my practice. I learned more and refreshed a lot.”
Florida’s certification program was designed to help the public in choosing a lawyer in a specified area, but no one is going to tell you that becoming board certified is an easy process.
But the effort will pay off.
Francine Ffolkes, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, has been board certified in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice since 2008. “Clients aren’t the only ones who are looking for attorneys who are board certified. Some firms and agencies give bonuses to lawyers who make the effort and become certified.”
Some Florida insurance companies also offer discounts on their premiums in recognition of the knowledge, skill and professionalism required to obtain Board Certification from the Florida Bar.
Today, more and more clients are looking for the certification designation when hiring a lawyer. Especially when the other side has already hired a B.C.S. In a diverse field of over 118,000 Florida lawyers, Board Certification can make you stand out from the crowd.
Exam dates, application deadlines and study guides can be found on The Florida Bar’s website at www.floridabar.org/certification.
Arlee J. Colman
Communications Coordinator
Legal Specialization and Education
The Florida Bar, Tallahassee
acolman@floridabar.org