(a) Substantial Involvement. The applicant must demonstrate continuous and substantial involvement in the field of Florida city, county and local government law throughout the period since the last date of certification. Substantial involvement means the applicant has devoted 40 percent or more of the applicant’s practice to matters in which issues of Florida city, county and local government law are significant factors and in which the applicant had substantial and direct participation in those issues. The applicant must furnish information concerning the frequency of the applicant’s work and the nature of the issues involved. Time devoted to lecturing or authorizing books or articles on city, county, or local government law substitutes for the practice of law if the applicant was otherwise engaged in the practice of law during that time period. Additionally, the board of legal specialization and education and the city, county, and local government certification committee may accept an affidavit from the applicant attesting to the applicant’s compliance with the substantial involvement requirement. The board of legal specialization and education may waive the substantial involvement requirement for good cause shown on an applicant’s request and at the recommendation of the city, county, and local government certification committee.
(b) Education. The applicant must complete 60 credit hours of approved continuing legal education in city, county, and local government law since the filing of the last application for certification or recertification. Passage of the written examination given to initial certification applicants satisfies the continuing legal education requirement if the applicant has completed more than 30 continuing legal education hours since the filing of the last application for certification or recertification.
(c) Peer Review. The applicant must submit the names and addresses of 3 other lawyers who are familiar with the applicant’s practice, not including lawyers who are relatives or currently employed by the same governmental entity or educational institution as the applicant or who currently practice in the applicant’s law firm, to complete peer review forms. These lawyers themselves must be substantially involved in Florida city, county, and local government law. The board of legal specialization and education and the city, county, and local government certification committee may authorize references from nonlawyers.
(d) Examination. If, after reviewing the material submitted by an applicant for recertification, the board of legal specialization and education and the city, county, and local government certification committee determine that the applicant may not meet the standards in city, county, and local government law established under this chapter, the board of legal specialization and education and the city, county, and local government certification committee may require, as a condition of recertification, that the applicant pass the written examination given by the board of legal specialization and education to new applicants.
Added July 20, 1995 (658 So.2d 930). Amended Dec. 11, 1998, by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar; amended and effective December 4, 2020 by The Florida Bar Board of Governors; amended and effective December 12, 2024 by The Florida Bar Board of Governors.