Board of Legal Specialization

Mission

The purpose of the legal specialization program is to identify to the public and the State Bar those lawyers who have demonstrated superior knowledge, skill, integrity, professionalism and a high degree of competence in a specific field of law. By identifying attorneys who have a high degree of experience in certain fields of law, the program will improve the quality of legal services and provide useful information for those seeking legal services.

The Board of Legal Specialization (BLS) is authorized pursuant to Rule 44, Ariz. R. Sup. Ct. The BLS regulates the certification of legal specialists in nine practice areas: Administrative, Bankruptcy, Criminal, Estate and Trust, Family, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death, Real Estate, Tax, and Workers’ Compensation.

An Advisory Commission is established for each area of certification. Each Advisory Commission actively administers the program in its particular field, under the policy guidance of the BLS.

Composition: The Board consists of thirteen (13) members appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court for four (4) year terms: eight (8) practicing attorneys – four (4) certified specialists and four (4) non specialists; one (1) representative from an ABA-accredited law school in Arizona; four (4) members of the public. Current Roster

Responsibilities:

Receive recommendations for initial certification or recertification of specialists from the Advisory Commissions. Approve or deny such applications.
Convene and preside over Request for Reconsideration hearings.
Review applications for Arizona accreditation from national organizations.
Make and publish standards for the certification of lawyers as specialists.

Time Commitment: The Board of Legal Specialization meets once per month. The length of the meetings may vary but typically last 30 minutes.

Appointments: Applications for an appointment to the Board of Legal Specialization are screened by the State Bar of Arizona’s Appointments Committee with its recommendations submitted to the Board of Governors, which in turn submits its recommendations to the Arizona Supreme Court for approval.

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