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Admiralty & Maritime Law Certification


Admiralty & Maritime Law Board Certification logo, color

Purpose:

To identify those lawyers who practice admiralty and maritime law and who have demonstrated special knowledge, skills and proficiency to be properly identified to the public as board certified in admiralty and maritime law.

Who may apply?

The minimum standards for board certification in admiralty & maritime law, provided in Rule 6-17, include:

  • At least five years of the actual practice of law immediately preceding application, of which at least 35% has been spent in active participation in admiralty & maritime law during each of the three years immediately preceding the date of application;
  • Demonstrated completion of at least 50 hours of approved continuing legal education credits in admiralty & maritime law within three years immediately preceding the date of application;
  • Peer review (character, ethics, and reputation for professionalism); and
  • A written examination.

Becoming Board Certified

All applicants for board certification or recertification should carefully read the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar to be sure you have met each of the requirements prior to filing your application. Unless the rules provide for a waiver of a specific requirement, each of the requirements must be met by the dates indicated in the rule.

NEW APPLICANTS

The application filing period runs July 1-August 31 of a given year to determine eligibility to sit for the exam in March of the subsequent year (see calendar for details). Applications must be postmarked by August 31. Eligible applicants who pass the exam will be officially certified in June.

REAPPLICANTS

If you’re eligible to sit for the exam from a previous application, you may file the short application.

RECERTIFICATION

According to the rules, no certification shall last for a period longer than five years. Find out when your recertification application is due.

All applications for recertification must be postmarked by midnight May 31 at the conclusion of the 5-year period of certification. All requirements for recertification are to be completed by this date. June 1 after the fifth year of certification is the effective date of recertification.

A single, 3-month recertification file extension will be granted if accompanied by a properly executed application for extension and payment of the appropriate fee.

Certification applications will be posted in April 2025.

Staff Liaison

Chyra Reynolds
The Florida Bar
651 E. Jefferson St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300
850-561-5736

Admiralty & Maritime Law Certification Field Established 1996