If you are hurt at the fault of someone else, it’s important to know what you need to look for in a Pensacola injury lawyer. In the state of Florida, you should instantly weed out any personal injury lawyer who is not board certified.
While it is obvious that your Pensacola injury lawyer must be a member of the Florida State Bar, not enough people know about the specialized and advanced qualification of being board certified – a distinction of note that marks specific Florida lawyers among the best of the best in their particular field. Although there are over 90,000 lawyers in the state of Florida, board certification is a way for the best lawyers to differentiate themselves from other lawyers in their field, and to emphasize their practical abilities, character, and capability.
What Does it Take to for a Pensacola Injury Lawyer to Become Board Certified?
In order to become a board certified Pensacola injury lawyer, an lawyer must not only pass the bar exam in the state of Florida – one of the toughest in the United States – but also must have met several other requirements. These requirements are obviously quite stringent; otherwise every lawyer with any common sense at all would apply and pass just so they could have this on their resume. The number of board certified lawyers, especially in this area, is staggeringly low – it’s less than 1%. In the counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton there are currently approximately 1,436 lawyers, and a mere 13 of them are board certified in civil trial law by both the state and the national certification organizations. Attorneys must truly earn this accreditation by their intelligence and their merit, setting them apart as the most qualified to handle your case.
So how exactly does your Pensacola injury lawyer become board certified? First, they must have over five years of experience actually practicing law. On top of this, each board certified lawyer must take an additional bar exam that deals only with questions related to their particular field. This test has a 40% fail rate. These lawyers must also be respected by their peers. Each applying lawyer must get signoffs and recommendations by judges who have presided over their trials – persons uniquely qualified to attest to the skill and character of each lawyer. Lastly, each lawyer attempting to gain board certification must submit favorable reviews from previous opposing counsel. At this point, the committee then takes test results and combines them with the various statements and endorsements of the lawyer’s ethics and skill in the courtroom, in order to decide if they want to grant certification.
Amazingly, it doesn’t end there. It is very important to ask your Pensacola injury lawyer if they have been re-certified recently. Board certification comes up once every six years. If the lawyer’s answer is no, they either have not had recent experience in the field, or have had other issues come up that would probably make them unattractive to you.
If you’re looking to get in contact with the best board certified Pensacola injury lawyer to handle your case, Joe Zarzaur is a great starting point. To find out more about Joe, his certification, and his proven track record, please feel free to contact the firm at 855-HIREJOE, or by requesting a free case review through our website.