Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Vernon's Texas Rules Annotated - VTRA TX R STAND ATTY CERT PT I § VIII. Senior Status Designation

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

A. A board certified attorney may apply for senior status designation in a particular specialty area if the attorney is no longer practicing law on a full-time basis, is at least 70 years old, and has been a board certified attorney in that specialty area for at least 20 consecutive years.

B. A board certified attorney shall apply for senior status designation on a form prescribed and approved by TBLS.

C. The senior status designation, if granted by TBLS, shall expire upon retirement of the board certified attorney or expiration, resignation, or revocation of his or her certificate of special competence.

D.

1. TBLS Standards for Attorney Certification Apply. Except as modified by Section VIII.D.2 below, a board certified attorney who is granted senior status is subject to both the general and area-specific requirements unique to the board certified attorney's specialty area that are set forth in TBLS Standards for Attorney Certification, including the requirement that the board certified attorney remain an active member in good standing with the SBOT.

2. Modifications. A board certified attorney who is granted senior status must:

a. Required Law Practice. Maintain at least a part-time practice of law with a minimum average of 20 hours per week of legal work done primarily for the purpose of providing legal advice or representation. Legal work may be pro bono or volunteer work.

b. CLE. For recertification, complete 75 hours of CLE in the specialty area by December 31 of each 5th year of certification.

c. Substantial Involvement. Devote a minimum of 25% of his or her time practicing law in the specialty area during each year of the 5-year period of certification.

d. References. For recertification, submit a minimum of 5 names and addresses of attorneys, judges, or both to be contacted as references with whom he or she has had dealings involving matters in the attorney's specialty area since the most recent recertification.

e. Fees. Pay the required fees except the recertification fee.

E. . The senior status designation is an internal designation TBLS utilizes to categorize certifications. A board certified attorney granted senior status designation shall not use the senior status designation on any professional or advertisement materials, including letterhead, business cards, signs, brochures, websites, or social media.

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 § VIII. Senior Status Designation - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/vernon-s-texas-rules-annotated/vtra-sect-viii/

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