Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Vernon's Texas Rules Annotated - VTRA TX R STAND ATTY CERT PT I § II. General Requirements

Current as of January 01, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

A. Membership and Practice.

1. SBOT Membership. An applicant and board certified attorney must be an active member in good standing of the SBOT.

2. Texas Office and Practice.

a. Certification Applicant. For the three years immediately preceding application, a certification applicant must have maintained a Texas office from which he or she personally conducts business an average of at least 3 days per week, until certification is achieved. Failure to meet this requirement will result in denial of application. TBLS may waive this requirement upon a showing of good cause.

b. Board Certified Attorney and Recertification Applicant. A board certified attorney and recertification applicant must continue to meet the substantial involvement requirements pertinent to the specialty area whether or not an office is maintained in Texas. For other recertification qualifications, refer to the applicable Specific Area Requirements.

B. Forms. Documents, applications, questionnaires, and examinations involved in the certification and recertification process shall be prescribed and approved by TBLS.

C. Fees. An applicant and board certified attorney shall timely pay the required fees established by TBLS.

D. Expiration of Certification. Certification shall be for a period of 5 years at the end of which time recertification shall be permitted upon the terms and conditions established by TBLS.

E. Revocation of Certification. A certificate of special competence issued by TBLS may be revoked for good cause as determined by TBLS.

F. Failure to Furnish Information and Misrepresentation. Certification or recertification may be denied, revoked, or other appropriate action taken because of an applicant's or board certified attorney's failure to furnish the information requested by TBLS or because of his or her misrepresentation of any material fact to TBLS.

G. Required Period of Law Practice. An applicant for certification shall have been engaged in the practice of law for a period of at least 5 years on a full-time basis. Years of practice need not be consecutive.

H. Definition of the Practice of Law. “Practice of law” means full-time legal work done primarily for the purpose of providing legal advice or representation. After admission to the bar of any state of the District of Columbia, service as a judge or associate judge of any court of record shall be considered practice of law. Corporate or government service, including military service, after admission to the bar of any state or the District of Columbia, shall be considered practice of law if the work done was legal in nature and primarily for the purpose of providing legal advice to, or representation of, the corporation or government agency or individuals connected therewith. TBLS may allow other legal work, such as teaching law or writing legal publications, to be combined with the part-time practice of law to satisfy this requirement.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Vernon's Texas Rules Annotated - VTRA TX R STAND ATTY CERT PT I § II. General Requirements - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/vernon-s-texas-rules-annotated/vtra-sect-ii/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard