The Florida Bar

Education Law Certification

Purpose:

Education law board certification logoTo identify lawyers who, although they may not practice substantially in each of these areas, nonetheless concentrate their practice of law in a wide variety of these categories of law in the educational environment, either on behalf of persons dealing with or receiving educational services, or as practitioners on behalf of educational institutions. “Education law” also includes presiding as an administrative law judge, arbitrator, hearing officer, judge or member of another tribunal or panel over a dispute involving education law issues.

Who may apply?

Minimum standards for education law certification, provided in Rule 6-27.3, include:

  • Practice of law for at least five years;
  • Substantial involvement in the specialty of education law during the three years immediately preceding application;
  • 50 hours of approved education law certification continuing legal education in the three  years immediately preceding application;
  • Peer review; 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

Kathleen Scholz-Jaffe
The Florida Bar
651 E. Jefferson St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300
850-561-3128

Education Law Certification Field Established 2009