Talking Points for Promoting Board Certification

How to describe The Florida Bar’s certification program

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Board certification is a voluntary program for lawyers, officiated by The Florida Supreme Court and administered by The Florida Bar. The program began in 1982 to help the public select lawyers who are distinguished in particular areas of law.
The Florida Bar thoroughly evaluates all board-certified lawyers for credibility and expertise in a particular area of law, and professionalism and ethics in the practice of law. Our slogan is “Evaluated for Professionalism, Tested for Expertise.”
A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets the standards prescribed by the Florida Supreme Court may begin the process of becoming board-certified in one or more of the 27 certification areas.
Established by the Florida Supreme Court, board certification is conferred upon lawyers by the most credible and highest authority over the state’s legal community, The Florida Bar.
Board certification is Florida’s official, independent determination of a lawyer’s expertise to practice in a specialty field of law. It is the gold standard for Florida lawyers, representing a recognition by a lawyer’s peers that they have attained a level of professional expertise in their chosen fields.
More than 100,000 lawyers are eligible to practice law in Florida … with more entering the field each year. As the legal landscape grows increasingly competitive, board-certified lawyers use their status to set themselves apart from peers.

Board certification is a voluntary program for lawyers, officiated by The Florida Supreme Court and administered by The Florida Bar. The program began in 1982 to help the public select lawyers who are distinguished in particular areas of law.
The Florida Bar thoroughly evaluates all board-certified lawyers for credibility and expertise in a particular area of law, and professionalism and ethics in the practice of law. Our slogan is “Evaluated for Professionalism, Tested for Expertise.”
A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets the standards prescribed by the Florida Supreme Court may begin the process of becoming board-certified in one or more of the 27 certification areas.
Established by the Florida Supreme Court, board certification is conferred upon lawyers by the most credible and highest authority over the state’s legal community, The Florida Bar.
Board certification is Florida’s official, independent determination of a lawyer’s expertise to practice in a specialty field of law. It is the gold standard for Florida lawyers, representing a recognition by a lawyer’s peers that they have attained a level of professional expertise in their chosen fields.
More than 100,000 lawyers are eligible to practice law in Florida … with more entering the field each year. As the legal landscape grows increasingly competitive, board-certified lawyers use their status to set themselves apart from peers.

Board certification is a voluntary program for lawyers, officiated by The Florida Supreme Court and administered by The Florida Bar. The program began in 1982 to help the public select lawyers who are distinguished in particular areas of law.
The Florida Bar thoroughly evaluates all board-certified lawyers for credibility and expertise in a particular area of law, and professionalism and ethics in the practice of law. Our slogan is “Evaluated for Professionalism, Tested for Expertise.”
A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets the standards prescribed by the Florida Supreme Court may begin the process of becoming board-certified in one or more of the 27 certification areas.
Established by the Florida Supreme Court, board certification is conferred upon lawyers by the most credible and highest authority over the state’s legal community, The Florida Bar.
Board certification is Florida’s official, independent determination of a lawyer’s expertise to practice in a specialty field of law. It is the gold standard for Florida lawyers, representing a recognition by a lawyer’s peers that they have attained a level of professional expertise in their chosen fields.
More than 100,000 lawyers are eligible to practice law in Florida … with more entering the field each year. As the legal landscape grows increasingly competitive, board-certified lawyers use their status to set themselves apart from peers.

As of December 2020, 7% of eligible Florida Bar members – fewer than 5,200 lawyers – have earned board certification in one or more of the 27 specialty areas.

The Florida Bar allows board-certified lawyers to use the term “Board-Certified Specialist.” Florida Bar board-certified lawyers may also use the letters “B.C.S.” behind their names to indicate “Board-Certified Specialist,” and the area(s) in which the member is board-certified must be identified. If the “B.C.S.” letters are used in court documents or non-advertising contexts, the initials may stand alone.
Certified lawyers may use a logo that says, “The Florida Bar, Board Certified” on their letterhead and business cards or in advertisements. Logos are available for each specialty field of practice. However, if a lawyer uses The Florida Bar’s generic board certification logo, the logo should be accompanied by the specialty field.