"Evaluated for Professionalism and Tested for Expertise" INFORMATION FOR BOARD CERTIFIED ATTORNEYS

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Dwayne Powers
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1 "Evaluated for Professionalism and Tested for Expertise" Website Tools: INFORMATION FOR BOARD CERTIFIED ATTORNEYS Visit for access to: Resources for Board Certified Attorneys: Program news, brochure order forms, marketing tips and logos from the Legal Specialization and Education Dept. (LSE) Facebook/Board Certification: LSE s social recognition and announcement page. Board Certified Lawyers List: A directory by specialty areas and cities, consumer information,media contacts and background about each of Florida s 26 certification areas. Board Certification and Recertification: This link includes applications, information regarding certification area standards, the certification calendar and certification committee member listings. Staff Contact Information: Contact your staff liaison with any questions you may have regarding certification. Telephone numbers and address are listed on each certification we page, or call the main number at: to be directed to a specialist. Annual Fees and Recertification: Annual Fees: The Certification Program was intended by the Supreme Court of Florida to be financially self-sustaining. You will receive notification for payment of your annual fee by in February each year. This fee is authorized under Rule (c) with the amount set by the Board of Governors. Recertification: After five years, it will be time for recertification. On the year you are due to apply for recertification you will not receive an annual fee notice, but instead will receive notification of renewal by . Please refer to the standards for recertification in your area. Membership Changes: Please remember, it is your responsibility to notify the Board of Legal Specialization and Education of any changes in your practice or membership status which might affect your continued eligibility for board certification. This includes disciplinary complaints, sanctions, or malpractice actions. Advertising and Public Relations Public Relations: There are many ways for you to get involved in helping us educate the public about the significance of board certification. Right now you can start by promoting your own accomplishments by using logos and the BC slogan on your advertising. If you will be presenting at an event contact LSE for materials available to help you with that presentation. Have ideas for promotions or announcements for the Facebook page - send them to Arlee J. Colman at acolman@floridabar.org. The Florida Bar Legal Specialization and Education Department 651 East Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL / , ext 5842

2 SAMPLE BUSINESS CARDS

Five Easy Ways for Legal Specialists to Generate Publicity, Gain Recognition and Promote Board Certification... Lawyer networking doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.

3 Five Easy Ways for Legal Specialists to Generate Publicity, Gain Recognition and Promote Board Certification... Lawyer networking doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Here are some easy steps any lawyer can take to increase his or her profile in legal circles, with media and online resources. ALL ATTORNEY ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION MUST COMPLY WITH RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA BAR SUBCHAPTER 4-7 INFORMATION ABOUT LEGAL SERVICES. PLEASE NOTE: The Board of Governors modified Florida Advisory Advertising Opinion A-00-1, at its January 29, 2016 meeting. The opinion as modified concludes that a lawyer may solicit prospective clients through Internet chat rooms, defined as real time communications between computer users, only if the lawyer complies with the rules on direct written communications and files any unsolicited communications with The Florida Bar for review. Lawyers may respond to specific questions posed to them in chat rooms. Lawyers should be cautious not to inadvertently form attorney-client relationships with computer users. More information about advertising rules in their intirety may be found at: 1. Get Nominated. Florida Trend Magazine s Legal Elite Florida Super Lawyers Best Lawyers/Lawyers of the Year Chambers USA Awards for Excellence The Lawyer Awards The American Lawyer Awards Law.com The American Lawyer Hall of Fame Law School Alumni Awards 2. Join Groups. LinkedIn: e-legal, Florida Board Certified Lawyers Group, Corporate Lawyer Network, Construction Lawyer Network, Trial Lawyer Network, etc. ABA Forums Voluntary Bar Associations 3. Speak Up. Florida Bar Speakers Bureau Universities/Law Schools Law School Moot Court Competitions Public seminars (e.g. estate planning) ABA Annual Meeting Florida Bar CLE Courses Florida Bar Certification Review Courses Voluntary Bar Associations 4. Post Opinions. Law.com Legal Blog Watch Blawg.com Law Blog WSJ Florida Lawyers Blog Watch South Florida Lawyers Blog The Am Law Daily 5. Go Viral. Media Florida Bar News Firm Website/Newsletter Legal 500 Florida Bar Pro Bono Awards Florida Bar President s Awards Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers Who s Who Legal Justice Anstead - Board Certified Attorney of the Year. Civic/Community Groups Associations connected to your area of law (e.g. National Association of Tax Practitioners) Inns of Court Martindale-Hubbell/Martindale.com Connected Associations connected to your area of law (e.g. Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute) Industry Annual Meetings (e.g. FHBA Summer Builders Conference) American Business Women s Association American Conference Institute The Sedona Conference Speaker s Bureau Chambers of Commerce Counsel to Counsel Abstract Appeal Lawyers.com LinkedIn Groups Local Media News Stories Association Newsletters LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter /Snail Mail Group Blogs

4 NEXT STEPS... Now That You are Board Certified ALL ATTORNEY ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION MUST COMPLY WITH RULES REGULATING THE FLORIDA BAR SUBCHAPTER 4-7 INFORMATION ABOUT LEGAL SERVICES. PLEASE NOTE: The Board of Governors modified Florida Advisory Advertising Opinion A-00-1, at its January 29, 2016 meeting. The opinion as modified concludes that a lawyer may solicit prospective clients through Internet chat rooms, defined as real time communications between computer users, only if the lawyer complies with the rules on direct written communications and files any unsolicited communications with The Florida Bar for review. Lawyers may respond to specific questions posed to them in chat rooms. Lawyers should be cautious not to inadvertently form attorney-client relationships with computer users. More information about advertising rules in their intirety may be found at: Use all of the terminology and logos available to you now that you are board certified. You now use the letters "B.C.S" to indicate Board Certified Specialist as long as you also include your specialty area in near proximity. You can say board certified real estate lawyer but you can't just say John Q. Lawyer, board certified, or John Q. Lawyer, legal expert. John Q. Lawyer, Esq., B.C.S. Florida Bar Board Certified - Real Estate Lawyer Lawyer & Lawyer, P.A. Anywhere Street, Suite 201 Miami, FL Tel Fax Certification area logos, specialty area standards, certification program news and resources for lawyers and the general public including an online directory of all Florida Bar board certified lawyers are available at FloridaBar.org/certification. Let others know you ve earned board certification, The Florida Bar s highest level of evaluation of attorneys' competence and experience in one or more of the 26 areas of law approved for certification by the Florida Supreme Court. Note: The Florida Bar will send a news release to media and your name will be published in The Florida Bar News. Send a news release to local media and publications associated with your area of practice to announce that you have earned board certification. Post the information on your LinkedIn profile or firm s Facebook page. Update your online bio and post the news on your website. all of your clients and colleagues and include the news in your firm newsletter. Join Groups. There are so many ways now, particularly online, that you can join groups and share your opinions as a legal expert in your certification area. Search in LinkedIn for groups related to your certification area; join them and post to their discussion groups. Always reference your status as a Florida Bar board certified lawyer in your specialty area to remind readers that you are board certified. Groups Ideas: LinkedIn Florida Board Certified Lawyers Group and groups associated with your certification area ABA Forums Voluntary Bar Associations Associations related to your certification area (e.g. National Association of Tax Practitioners) Inns of Court Martindale-Hubbell/Martindale.com Connected Certification Facebook Page Announcements

5 Publicity and Marketing Ideas for Newly Certified Lawyers IDEA: Call local newspaper, TV and radio stations and ask to speak with the reporter or editor who covers news topics related to your certification area. Tell them you're a board certified expert in adoption law, for example, and ask to be placed on their call lists for expert commentary and interviews. Also consider signing up as a media relations volunteer for The Florida Bar; your name will be included in TFB s online lists of legal expert media contacts. Get out there and speak! Now that you're a legal expert in your certification area, you can market yourself to community groups, local media, Florida Bar Section CLE courses, law schools, conventions associated with your certification area, etc. Ideas: Florida Bar Speakers Bureau Universities/Law Schools Law School Moot Court Competitions Public seminars (e.g. estate planning) ABA Annual Meeting Florida Bar CLE Courses Florida Bar Certification Review Courses Voluntary Bar Associations Associations related to your certification area (e.g. Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute) Industry Annual Meetings (e.g. FHBA Summer Builders Conference) American Business Women s Association American Conference Institute The Sedona Conference Speaker s Bureau Chambers of Commerce Post Opinions. If you're not already blogging, then you should take the time to do so. Post your opinions about recent case law or legal trends, or discuss proposed legislative changes. If a newspaper business reporter writes a story about proposed legislation that relates to your certification area, then you could post a comment to that story on the publication s website. If you search for " blog" blogs related to your certification area you probably will get lots of hits. Offer to become a regular contributor to an established blog, or start your own. Ideas: Law.com Legal Blog Watch Blawg.com Law Blog WSJ Florida Lawyers Blog Watch South Florida Lawyers Blog The Am Law Daily Counsel to Counsel Abstract Appeal Lawyers.com LinkedIn Groups Local Media News Stories Go Viral. Once you make some news, get appointed or win a significant case, then your online community is the way to get the word out. When you have any news to announce, collectively use the avenues below to make that news spread rapidly like a virus (viral marketing) and you'll maximize the reach of your message. One key to this is to have these avenues of communication already in place. Newspapers/TV/Radio/Magazines Florida Bar News Certification Facebook Page Firm Website/Newsletter/Press Room Association Newsletters Florida Bar Section Newsletters LinkedIn Facebook/Twitter /Snail Mail Group Blogs

6 2017 CERTIFICATION ADVERTISING GUIDELINES Now that you have achieved board certification, we hope to enlist your help in our ongoing statewide campaign to raise awareness among lawyers and legal consumers about its merits. Evaluated for Professionalism and Tested for Expertise This slogan is approved for use in all communication, and makes an excellent addition to certification promotional materials. Certification Advertising Rule: Rule Manner of Certification: (a) Listing Area of Certification. A member having received a certificate in an area may list the area on the member's letterhead, business cards, and office door, in the yellow pages of the telephone directory, in approved law lists, and by such other means permitted by the Rules of Professional Conduct. The listing may be made by stating one or more of the following: "Board Certified (area of certification) Lawyer;" "Specialist in (area of certification);" or use of initials B.C.S., to indicate Board Certified Specialist. If the initials B.C.S. are used, the area(s) in which the member is board certified must be identified; if used in court documents or a nonadvertising context, the initials may stand alone. (b) Members of Law Firms. No law firm may list an area of certification for the firm, but membership in the firm does not impair an individual's eligibility to list areas of certification in accordance with this chapter. Except for the firm listing in the telephone directory, a law firm may show next to the names of any firm members their certification area(s). Graphics Guidelines: All uses of the certification logo must meet the requirements as set forth by The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Advertising which include, but are not limited to the following: The certification logo cannot be altered. The specialty area must appear at all times in individual lawyer advertising within or adjacent to the logo. The certification logo is approved for use in print, electronic, and other computer accessed communications. If any attorney is certified in more than one area of certification, the attorney may use more than one logo. The registration mark must appear on the logo at all times. Advertising or promotional pieces (including letterhead) for firms, must list the individual certified attorney(s) by name and field of specialty. This is meant to avoid confusing the public by implying that the law firm as a whole is certified by The Florida Bar.

B.C.S. Board Certified Specialist The Florida Supreme Court in 2009 approved a rule that allows board certified lawyers to use the letters "B.C.S." for board certified specialist. Rule 6-3.

7 B.C.S. Board Certified Specialist The Florida Supreme Court in 2009 approved a rule that allows board certified lawyers to use the letters "B.C.S." for board certified specialist. Rule (a) became effective Feb. 1, The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization & Education (850) Examples Pleadings (B.C.S. may stand alone) WHEREFORE, for the reasons stated herein, third party defendant,, respectfully moves the court for an order dismissing _Third Party Complaint. Respectfully submitted, Perry Mason, B.C.S. Florida Bar No.: R. BURR LAW FIRM, P.L. 123 Della Street Burger, FL Telephone: (305) Fax: (305) pmason@rburrlaw.com Letterhead, , Business Cards (B.C.S. and certification area) Perry Mason, B.C.S. Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer R. BURR LAW FIRM, P.L. 123 Della Street Burger, FL Telephone: (305) Fax: (305) pmason@rburrlaw.com FloridaBar.org/certification RULE MANNER OF CERTIFICATION. (a) Listing Area of Certification. A member having received a certificate in an area may list the area on the member's letterhead, business cards, and office door, in the yellow pages of the telephone directory, in approved law lists, and by such other means permitted by the Rules of Professional Conduct. The listing may be made by stating one or more of the following: "Board Certified (area of certification) Lawyer;" "Board Certified Specialist in (area of certification);" Board Certified Expert in (area of certification); or use of initials B.C.S., to indicate Board Certified Specialist. If the initials B.C.S. are used, the area(s) in which the member is board certified must be identified; if used in court documents or a non-advertising context, the initials may stand alone.

EXAMPLE AUDIO OR VIDEO SCRIPTS

EXAMPLE AUDIO OR VIDEO SCRIPTS Contact: Arlee Colman The Florida Bar Legal Specialization & Education Department (850) 561-5805 Florida Bar Board Certification 651 East Jefferson Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300 FloridaBar.org/certification