Education Law Certification

Purpose

Education Law Board Certification Logo The purpose of education law certification is to 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.

A full definition of “education law” can be found in the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar 6-27.2

Summary of Requirements

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.

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Board Certification Applications for Lawyers

All applicants for board certification or recertification should carefully read the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar (Rules) and 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.

Currently Certified? Recertification Information for 2020

If you were originally certified in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, or 2015 you are due to file your recertification application in 2020. The application for recertification must be postmarked by January 31, 2021. All requirements for recertification are to be completed by this date.

Get Certified – Seeking Certification

The filing period for the initial application opens July 1, 2020. Applications must be postmarked by August 31, 2020. You must apply in this filing period to be considered for eligibility for the 2021 exam. If you’re eligible from a previous application, you may file the short application. Carefully read the rules for initial certification to determine if you will meet the requirements.