Q: What is Health Law?
A: The Florida Bar’s definition of Health Law isthat Health law is the practice of law involving federal, state or local law and rules or regulations regarding the delivery of health care services. In addition to health care provider issues and regulations of providers, health law includes legal issues regarding relationships between and among providers and payors.
Q: What is the definition of a Board Certified Attorney by The Florida Bar?
A: Board certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice. Attorneys are evaluated for Professionalism and Tested for Expertise. Established in 1982 by the Florida Supreme Court, board certification helps consumers identify specialists in various areas of law. Health Law Certification was approved by the Supreme Court of Florida in 1994. Board certification helps consumers find a lawyer who has demonstrated ability and experience in specialized fields of law. Certification helps lawyers, too, by giving them a way to make known their experience to the public and other lawyers. By requiring a lawyer to continue his or her legal education in specialty fields, certification also helps improve competence.
Q: In what areas of the law can a lawyer be certified as a specialist?
A:
- Admiralty and Maritime
- Appellate Law
- Aviation Law
- Business Litigation
- Civil Trial
- City, County, and Local Government
- Criminal Law
- Trial Appellate
- Health Law
- Immigration and Nationality
- Marital and Family Law
- Real Estate Law
- Tax Law
- Wills, Trusts, and Estates
- Workers’ Compensation
Q: How does a lawyer qualify to be Board Certified in Health Law?
A: To become a certified specialist in health law, a lawyer must:
- be an active member in good standing of The Florida Bar;
- have practiced law for a minimum of five years, or 4 years with an LL.M. in health law or a related field;
- pass a written examination in the specialty area of health law;
- demonstrate substantial experience in the specialty of health law – 40% or more- during the 3 years immediately preceding application;
- complete 60 hours of approved health law certification continuing legal education in the 3 years immediately preceding application; and,
- Peer review evaluated by judges and other lawyers as to the attorney’s ability and experience in the specialty field of health law.
Q: How long is a lawyer certified?
A: Certification is granted for five years. To be recertified, requirements similar to those for initial certification must be met. Board certification is valid for five years, during which time the attorney must continue to practice law and attend Florida Bar-approved continuing legal education courses. To be recertified, requirements similar to those for initial certification must be met. Not all qualified lawyers are certified, but those who are board certified have taken the extra step to have their competence and experience recognized.
Q: How many Florida lawyers have attained board certification as a specialist in Health Law?
A: As of June 2019, according to the Florida Bar website, there are fewer than 150 attorneys who are board certified in Florida in the field of Health Law.
Q: How can consumers know whether a lawyer is a certified specialist?
A: Only a lawyer certified by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education is entitled to state that he or she is “board certified” or a “specialist” on business cards, letterhead, in legal directories and yellow pages of telephone directories. In addition, certified lawyer directories are published annually and sent to libraries and local bar associations throughout Florida. Consumers may also contact the office of The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education.
Please visit the Florida Bar’s website for more information on Board Certification.