Board Certified Bankruptcy Lawyers in Gilbert, Arizona | What Does Board Certified Mean?
Lawyer Advertising in Arizona Regarding
"Specialization"
Many successful lawyers seek to distinguish themselves by becoming board certified in various areas of law. The State of Arizona's Rule of Professional conduct Rule 7.4 sets rules for lawyers who wish to advertise that they have a "specialty" or "specialize" in a particular area of law.
Arizona allows attorneys to become specialized in two different ways. First, the State Bar of Arizona has a Board of Legal Specialization which allows attorneys to become board certified in the following areas of law:
Second, Arizona also recognizes that national organizations also offer programs which allow an attorney to become certified in a specialty. If a lawyer licensed in Arizona wishes to apply for such a specialization and obtains it, that is permissible. However, if that lawyer wishes to advertise or place that specialization where the public can be exposed to it, that lawyer must adhere to the requirements of Rule 7.4. These requirements are as follows:
7.4 COMMUNICATION OF FIELDS OF PRACTICE
A lawyer may communicate the fact that the lawyer does or does not practice in particular fields of law. A lawyer shall not state or imply that the lawyer is a specialist except as follows:
(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; and
(c) a lawyer certified by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization or by a national entity that has standards for certification substantially the same as those established by the board may state the area or areas of specialization in which the lawyer is certified. Prior to stating that the lawyer is a specialist certified by a national entity, the entity must be recognized by the board as having standards for certification substantially the same as those established by the board. If the national entity has not been recognized by the board, it may make application for recognition by completing an application form provided by the board.
Arizona recognizes the American Board of Certification as an entity that offers a certification program in Bankruptcy Law.
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 you wish to retain an attorney it is not essential that they be a "Specialist" in civil law to do an excellent job. However, if you wish to only choose a lawyer that has earned a "Specialization" from an ABA approved organization and you are unsure if they have a specialization, simply ask if they do hold such a specialization.
Serving clients throughout Southwestern Arizona, including Anthem, Apache Junction, Avondale, Buckeye, Casa Grande, Cave Creek, Chandler, Dateland, Fennemore, Flagstaff, Fountain Hills, Gila Bend, Gilbert, Glendale, Holbrook, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Marana, Mesa, Nogales, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Sacaton, Santan, Scottsdale, Seligman, South Santan, Sun City, Sun City West, Sun Lakes, Surprise, Sweetwater, Tempe, Tucson, Waddell, Williams, Winslow, Youngtown, areas in the vicinity of Luke Air Force Base, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and other communities in Maricopa County.