Get Certified

Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of competency and experience within an area of law, and professionalism and ethics in practice. The Appellate Practice Section encourages attorneys to become Board Certified.

Make It Your Goal Too!


Appellate Practice Board Certification Boot Camp 2023

January 30, 2023, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm EST

Are you preparing for the appellate board certification exam? Or, would you like to stay abreast of new developments in the appellate world? Five appellate specialists will present a four-hour video webcast as an update to last year’s certification review course. Please join Steven Brannock, Thomas Burns, Celene Humphries, Judge Andrew Manko, and Paul Morris for a discussion of recent developments in appellate law, including new rule changes. Plus, they will explain some long-standing principles often misunderstood or missed by appellate practitioners. If you’re sitting for the March 2023 exam, this video webcast is a must.

  • 4.5 Appellate Practice CLE Credits
  • 4.5 Criminal Appellate CLE Credits

Live ProgramRegister Here
$220.00 for Section Members | $260.00 for Non-Section Members

Audio CD: Coming Soon

Coming Soon! This Program 24/7 On-Demand or Downloadable Audio


Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of competency and experience within an area of law, and professionalism and ethics in practice. The Appellate Practice Section encourages attorneys to become Board Certified.

The Board of Legal Specialization and Education and the Appellate Practice Certification Committee are pleased to announce the following attorneys are now Board Certified as of June 1, 2020:

  • Kimberly Berman, Ft. Lauderdale
  • John Crawford, St. Petersburg
  • Meredith Hall, Bradenton
  • Elizabeth Harris, Mims
  • M. Hope Keating, Tallahassee
  • Eric Levine, West Palm Beach
  • Thomasina Moore, Tallahassee
  • Brain Tackenberg, Key Biscayne
  • Sarah Weitz, Ft. Lauderdale
  • Amy Wessel, Ft. Lauderdale

Appellate Practice is the practice of law dealing with the recognition and preservation of error committed by lower tribunals, and the presentation of argument concerning the presence or absence of such error to state or federal appellate courts through brief writing, writ and motion practice, and oral argument. Appellate practice includes evaluation and consultation regarding potential appellate issues or remedies in connection with proceedings in the lower tribunal prior to the initiation of the appellate process.

Board certified attorneys are the only Florida lawyers allowed to identify themselves as “specialists” or “experts” or to use the letters “B.C.S.” to indicate Board Certified Specialist when referring to their legal credentials.

Board certification is The Florida Bar’s highest evaluation of attorneys’ competency, experience and professionalism in areas of law approved for specialization by the Supreme Court of Florida. Board certified lawyers are legal experts dedicated to professional excellence, and attorneys who become board certified are evaluated as to their character, ethics and reputation for professionalism in the practice of law. Florida offers 24 specialty areas for board certification, more than any other state. The Florida Bar maintains a free, online directory of board certified lawyers by specialty area and city at FloridaBar.org/certification. About 4,500 of Florida’s 91,000 lawyers have earned board certification.

A lawyer who is a Florida Bar member in good standing and who meets the standards prescribed by the Florida Supreme Court may become board certified in one or more of the 24 certification fields. Minimum requirements for board certification are listed below; each area of certification may contain higher or additional standards.

  • A minimum of five years in law practice.
  • Substantial involvement in the field of law for which board certification is sought.
  • Satisfactory peer review from other lawyers and judges to assess competence in the specialty field as well as character, ethics and professionalism in the practice of law.
  • Completion of the board certification area’s continuing legal education requirements.
  • A passing grade on the examination required of all applicants or satisfaction of strict criteria to exempt the exam.

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. Recertification requirements are similar to those for initial certification. Not all qualified lawyers are certified, but those who are board certified have taken the extra step to have their competence and experience evaluated.

Contact:

Danielle Evans
The Florida Bar
850-561-5842
devans@floridabar.org


For more information from the Florida Bar:

To search for a lawyer board certified in appellate practice, click here.