The Florida Bar

Juvenile Law Certification

Purpose:

Juvenile Law Board Certification logo, colorTo identify those lawyers who practice juvenile law and have the special knowledge, skills, and proficiency, as well as the character, ethics, and reputation for professionalism, to be properly identified to the public as board certified in juvenile law.

Who may Apply?

Minimum standards for juvenile law certification, provided in Rule 6-29.3, include:

  • Practice of law for at least five years;
  • Handling of at least 10 fully adjudicated trials or appellate proceedings arising from petitions for dependency, termination of parental rights, or delinquency, of which occurred during the five years immediately preceding application;
  • 50 hours of approved juvenile 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 September 1-October 31 of a given year to determine eligibility to sit for the exam in May of the subsequent year (see calendar for details). Applications must be postmarked by October 31. Eligible applicants who pass the exam will be officially certified in August.

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 July 31 at the conclusion of the 5-year period of certification. All requirements for recertification are to be completed by this date. August 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.

Applications will be posted in April 2025.

Exam Tools & Information

All Practitioners

Florida Guidelines of Practice for Attorneys Who Represent Children in Delinquency Proceedings

Florida Guidelines for Lawyers Who Represent Children in Abuse and Neglect Cases

ABA Standards of Practice for Attorneys Representing Parents in Abuse and Neglect Cases

ABA Standards of Practice for Lawyers Representing Child Welfare Agencies

Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program Standards

Guardian Ad Litem Dependency Practice Manual

The Florida Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist: A Guide for Understanding the Consequences of Juvenile Court Involvement

Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure

Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure

Florida Rules of Judicial Administration

Florida Juvenile Law and Practice

Florida’s Dependency Benchbook

Florida’s Juvenile Delinquency Benchbook

Florida Statutes Chapters: 39, 984, 985

Florida Statutes portions of Chapters: 119, 393, 394, 943

Interstate Compact on Juveniles

Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children

Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act

Delinquency Materials

Portions of the Traffic Statutes – Only Sections Applicable to Juveniles

The Detention Risk Assessment Instrument (DRAI)

Dependency Materials

Florida Statutes Portions of Chapter 63 and Chapter 409

Florida Administrative Code Chapter 65C

Adoptions and Safe Families Act (ASFA)

Chaffee Independent Living Program

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act

Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance ActOR the federal law that repeals it if enacted prior to December 31, 2016)

Strengthening Families and Preventing Sex Trafficking Act

STAFF LIAISON

Aubrey Walker
The Florida Bar
651 E. Jefferson St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300
850-561-5768