Board Certified Criminal Law—Texas Board of Legal Specialization

That’s what only about 1% of the Texas Bar is able to advertise.  Board Certification in Criminal Law is something that only 833 lawyers could claim in 2008.  Now, those 833 have some company… me!  That’s right, I received my notice yesterday that I am now Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

According to the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, an attorney who is Board Certified in Criminal Law must have "experience in the preparation and trial of serious criminal matters.  The attorney must also have extensive knowledge of state and federal constitutional law, evidence, procedure and penal laws involved in the trial of these matters."

The qualifications for an attorney to become board certified are:

1. The attorney must have been licensed to practice law for at least five years;
2. The attorney must devote a required percentage of his or her practice to criminal law for at least the last three years;
3. The attorney must have handled a wide variety of criminal law matters which demonstrate his or her experience and involvement in criminal law;
4. The attorney must have attended criminal law continuing education seminars regularly to keep his or her legal training up to date;
5. The attorney must have been successfully evaluated by fellow lawyers and judges; and, most difficult of all,
6. The attorney must have passed a written examination demonstrating a thorough understanding of criminal law and procedure.

I am proud to announce that I have met each and every one of those qualifications, and I can now officially claim to be what I have long desired to be, a criminal law specialist in the State of Texas.  This has been a goal of mine ever since I took an interest in criminal law over twelve years ago while in law school.

I have long felt that if I was going to accept the responsibility of protecting the rights of my fellow citizens who have come to feel the power and force of their own government turning against them, then I must dedicate myself to learning everything that I can about the laws, rules and procedures which the government is going to use against my clients.  It is only by knowing the rules better than even the rule-makers themselves that I can truly protect those individuals who have put their trust in me to see them through a most difficult time.

The 2009 Induction Ceremony honoring all of the 2008 Newly Board Certified Attorneys will take place on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 3:00 p.m., at the Texas Law Center in Austin, Texas.  At that time, members of the Supreme Court of Texas will preside over the presentation of Certificates of Special Competence which will be given to each of the new inductees.