Liszt & Associates, P.A.

Board Certification:

Established in 1982 by the Florida Supreme Court, board certification is designed to help the public identify specialists in various areas of law. The board certification process evaluates and recognizes attorneys with special knowledge, skills, and proficiency in certain areas of law who demonstrate professionalism and ethics in their legal practice.

Only certified lawyers are allowed by the Florida Bar Rules to identify themselves as “Florida Bar Board Certified” or as a “specialist.” Certification is the “highest level of evaluation of the competency and experience of attorneys in the 27 areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida. “It is important to recognize that only seven percent of the approximate 5,000 eligible attorneys admitted to the Florida Bar, have achieved board certification. A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets the standards prescribed by the state’s Supreme Court may become a “Board Certified Admiralty and Maritime Lawyer.” 

Attorneys applying for board certification or recertification in admiralty and maritime law must meet stringent requirements established by the Florida Bar. The lawyer must be a member in good standing of the Florida Bar and have practiced law on a full-time basis for at least five years (four years if the attorney holds an L.L.M. in maritime law, admiralty law, ocean law or a related field), and demonstrate “substantial involvement” in the practice maritime and admiralty law. The lawyer must also pass a peer review and have completed 50 hours of continuing legal education during the three-year period immediately preceding his or her application. Additionally, the lawyer must successfully pass a written examination demonstrating knowledge, skills and proficiency in the field of admiralty and maritime law to justify the representation of special competence.