Fill-Out This Easy Form to Be Immediately Contacted by a Lawyer
First NameMILast Name
Name
Email
Area CodePhone Number
 
- -
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
State
City
Zip
MMDDYY
DOB
Do you have an attorney?
Why Are You Considering Bankruptcy?
(check all that apply)
Estimate Total Debt
: $
Which bills do you have?
(check all that apply)
Total Monthly Expenses
: $
Do you own real estate?
Do you own a vehicle?
Do you have any additional assets worth more than $1,000?
Which types of income do you have?
(check all that apply)
Estimate Total Monthly Income
: $
Terms & Conditions
By submitting your request, you grant permission for one of our premier partners to contact you using the phone number or email address that you have provided so we may assist you with your request. You agree that the matched advocate or law firm may use an automatic telephone dialing system even if the number you provided is a wireless phone number.
Please complete the math problem to prove you are not a robot: =
Refresh

What is Board Certified in Bankruptcy Law & What are the Requirements?

Lawyer Advertising in Missouri Regarding
"Specialization"

Lawyers advertising in all states are governed usually by that states' bar association and/or the highest court of that state. In Missouri, there are thousands of actively practicing lawyers. They are governed by Rules of Professional Conduct and they must maintain an active membership in the Missouri State Bar. The Missouri Bar was created in 1944 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Its mission is to improve the legal profession, the administration of justice, and law. Through educational programs, publications, and more, The Missouri Bar serves as a valuable resource for members—and for the citizens of Missouri.

When it comes to advertising that a lawyer is "Certified" or is a "Specialist", Missouri has adopted the following rules. Missouri's Supreme Court governs lawyer advertising with 4.7.1:

4-7.1. Communication Concerning a Lawyer's Services

A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services. A communication is false if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law. A communication is misleading if it:

(a) omits a fact as a result of which the statement considered as a whole is materially misleading;
(b) is likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve;
(c) proclaims results obtained on behalf of clients, such as the amount of a damage award or the lawyer's record in obtaining favorable verdicts or settlements, without stating that past results afford no guarantee of future results and that every case is different and must be judged on its own merits;
(d) states or implies that the lawyer can achieve results by means that violate the Rules of Professional Conduct or other law;
(e) compares the quality of a lawyer's or a law firm's services with other lawyers' services, unless the comparison can be factually substantiated;
(f) advertises for a specific type of case concerning which the lawyer has neither experience nor competence;
(g) indicates an area of practice in which the lawyer routinely refers matters to other lawyers, without conspicuous identification of such fact;
(h) contains any paid testimonial about or endorsement of the lawyer, without conspicuous identification of the fact that payment has been made for the testimonial or endorsement;
(i) contains any simulated portrayal of a lawyer, client, victim, scene, or event without conspicuous identification of the fact that it is a simulation;
(j) provides an office address for an office staffed only part-time or by appointment only, without conspicuous identification of such fact; or
(k) states that legal services are available on a contingent or no-recovery-no-fee basis without stating conspicuously that the client may be responsible for costs or expenses, if that is the case.

The presumptions that statements are misleading contained in Rule 4-7.1(c), (g), (h), and (k) shall not apply to a not-for-profit organization funded in whole or in part by the Legal Services Corporation established by 42 U.S.C. section 2996(b) or to pro bono services provided free of charge by a not-for-profit organization, a court-annexed program, a bar association, or an accredited law school.

Missouri Supreme Court Rule 4-7.1 above does not quite answer whether a lawyer can say that he/she is a specialist. For this answer, we must look at 4-7.4.

4-7.4 Communication of Fields of Practice and Specialization

A lawyer may communicate the fact that the lawyer does or does not practice in particular fields of law. Any such communication shall conform to the requirements of Rule 4-7.1. Except as provided in Rule 4-7.4(a) and (b), a lawyer shall not state or imply that the lawyer is a specialist unless the communication contains a disclaimer that neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations.

(a) A lawyer admitted to engage in patent practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office may use the designation “patent attorney” or a substantially similar designation;

(b) A lawyer engaged in admiralty practice may use the designation “admiralty,” “proctor in admiralty” or a substantially similar designation.

Thus, a lawyer can say the following:

"I am lawyer and my name is ________ and I am Certified by the ___________. Neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor the Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations."

In Missouri and in the area of Bankruptcy, an entity that Columbia lawyers are able to publicly discuss their certification is a company called the:

American Board of Certification (ABC)
101 Second Street SE, Suite 904
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
(319) 365-2222
www.abcworld.org

They offer a certification in Business Bankruptcy and Consumer Bankruptcy.

If a Missouri lawyer holds a certification or specialization as an American Board Certification in bankruptcy, which is approved by the American Bar Association, and he/she wishes to exclusively advertise on a full page on this site, subject to the Terms & Conditions of Sale, they may do so.

Serving clients throughout Central Missouri, including Boonville, Bowling Green, Bunceton, Camdenton, Centrailia, Columbia, Dillon, Fayette, Fulton, Glasgow, Hannibal, Holts Summit, Jefferson City, Lebanon, Macon, Marshall, Moberly, Montgomery City, Sedalia, Warrenton, and other communities in Boone County.