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What does it mean for an attorney to be "Board Certified"?

Did you know?

As of December 2008:
There are 82,393 active licensed attorneys in Texas;
There are only 1,160 attorneys who are Board Certified in Civil Trial Law;
There are only 1,740 attorneys who are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law.

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization is authorized by the Supreme Court of Texas and certifies attorneys in 20 specific areas of law to help insure that the citizens of Texas receive the highest quality legal services.

We are proud that all of the attorneys at Patton, Nix & Young are Board Certified and are in that small group of less than 2 % of all Texas attorneys that are “Board Certified” in either Civil Trial Law or Personal Injury Trial Law.

To become Board Certified in a specialty area, an attorney must have:

been licensed to practice law for at least five years; devoted a required percentage of practice to a specialty area for at least three years; handled a wide variety of matters in the area to demonstrate experience and involvement; attended continuing education seminars regularly to keep legal training up to date; been evaluated by fellow lawyers and judges; passed a written examination. The certification is valid for a period of five years and to remain certified, an attorney must apply for re-certification every five years and meet substantial involvement, peer review and continuing legal education requirements for the specialty area.

Certified Civil Trial Law specialists have participated in the preparation and trial of significant civil cases. They are familiar with the negotiation and pre-trial process, as well as with the rules of evidence, procedure, and other substantial law involved in these civil cases.

Certified Personal Injury Trial Law specialists have handled various aspects (including jury trials) of matters such as vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, or defective products which cause physical or mental injury to a person.