Board Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of competency and experience within an area of law, and professionalism and ethics in practice. More than 5,000 Florida lawyers are recognized as specialists in one or more of 27 certification areas. The RPPTL Section of the Florida Bar encourages members of the section to become Board Certified in the areas of Construction Law, Real Estate, Wills, Trusts, and Estates, and Condominium and Planned Development Law. The RPPTL Section conducts annual live and webcast Certification Review Courses for Construction Law Certification, Real Property Law Certification, Wills, Trusts and Estates Law Certification, and Condominium and Planned Development Law Certification.

Applications, rules, polices, exam dates and specifications and other information online at https://www.floridabar.org/about/cert/

Why Become Certified?

• Board certification establishes an independent measure of competence, professionalism and peer acknowledgment, and helps clients and fellow lawyers set expectations for professional abilities.
• Board certification serves both prospective clients and counsel seeking to refer legal matters to an expert. Board certification can therefore help lawyers grow their practices with matters in which they can best utilize their expertise. The Florida Bar supports this valuable service by providing a direct URL to its directory of board certified lawyers: https://www.floridabar.org/about/cert/cert-list/.
• Board certification provides an objective measure that a corporate executive, hiring partner, government official or other leader may justifiably rely upon when selecting a lawyer and explaining the choice to stockholders, clients, citizens or others to whom the leader is accountable.
• Board certification enhances the stature of a law firm or office, as tangibly demonstrated by lower malpractice insurance rates for certified lawyers. Florida Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company offers a 10% premium reduction for board certification.
• Board certified lawyers foster their firms' well-being and serve as role models.
• Board certification demonstrates commitment for practitioners who vary their work styles from the traditional mode. For example, certification helps validate the commitment of a lawyer who chooses to work alternative hours or from home to accommodate health, family or other personal demands.
• Board certification is not just a personally satisfying professional milestone, it is an impetus toward investing energy and thought necessary for future growth and professional contribution. Because continued certification requires satisfaction of specific standards and peer affirmation others can be assured that the certified lawyer remains committed to excellence.

Be among the only Florida lawyers known as experts and specialists who have been objectively evaluated by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education. Board certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law, and professionalism and ethics in practice. Board certified attorneys are the only Florida lawyers allowed to identify themselves as Florida Bar Board Certificed "specialists” or “experts” or to use "B.C.S." to indicate Board Certified Specialist.

You can find out more about certification in the areas of Construction Law, Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Real Estate, and Condominium and Planned Development Law at the Florida Bar Website and the links below.