§ Rule 6-14.3 Minimum standards
Rule 6-14.3. Minimum standards
(a) Minimum Period of Practice. Every applicant shall have been engaged in the practice of law in the United States, or engaged in the practice of United States law while in a foreign country, and shall have been a member in good standing of the bar of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia for a period of 5 years as of the date of application.
(1) The years of practice of law need not be consecutive.
(2) Notwithstanding the definition of “practice of law” in rule 6-3.5(c)(1), receipt of an LL.M. degree in health law (or such other related fields approved by the board of legal specialization and education and the health law certification committee) from an approved law school shall be deemed to constitute 1 year of the practice of law for purposes of the 5-year practice requirement (but not the 5-year bar membership requirement) under this subdivision. However, an applicant may not receive credit for more than 1 year of practice for any 12-month period under this subdivision; accordingly, for example, an applicant who, while being engaged in the practice of law, receives an LL.M. degree by attending night classes, would not receive credit for the practice of law requirement by virtue of having received the LL.M. degree.
(b) Substantial Involvement. Every applicant must demonstrate substantial involvement in the practice of health law during the 3 years immediately preceding the date of application. Upon an applicant's request and the recommendation of the health law certification committee, the board of legal specialization and education may waive the requirement that the 3 years be “immediately preceding” the date of application if the board of legal specialization and education determines the waiver is warranted by special and compelling circumstances. Substantial involvement means the applicant has devoted 40 percent or more of the applicant's practice to matters in which issues of health law are significant factors and in which the applicant had substantial and direct participation in those health law issues. An applicant must furnish information concerning the frequency of the applicant's work and
the nature of the issues involved. For the purposes of this subdivision the “practice of law” shall be as defined in rule 6-3.5(c)(1), except that it shall also include time devoted to lecturing and/or authoring books or articles on health law if the applicant was engaged in the practice of law during such period. Demonstration of compliance with this requirement shall be made initially through a form of questionnaire approved by the health law certification committee but written or oral supplementation may be required.
(c) Peer Review. Every applicant shall submit the names and addresses of 5 other attorneys or judges who are familiar with the applicant's practice, not including attorneys who currently practice in the applicant's law firm, and who can attest to the applicant's reputation for involvement in the field of health law, as well as the applicant's character, ethics, and reputation for professionalism, in accordance with rule 6-3.5(c)(6). The board of legal specialization and education or the health law certification committee may authorize references from persons other than attorneys in such cases as they deem appropriate. The board of legal specialization and education and the health law certification committee may also make such additional inquiries as they deem appropriate.
(d) Education. Every applicant must demonstrate that during the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of application, the applicant has met the continuing legal education requirements in health law as follows. The required number of hours shall be established by the board of legal specialization and education and shall in no event be less than 60 hours, at least 18 hours of which must be obtained through attendance at continuing legal education seminars as described in subdivision (1) below. Credit for attendance at continuing legal education seminars shall be given only for programs that are directly related to health law. Subject to the requirements and limitations set forth above, the education requirement may be satisfied by 1 or more of the following:
(1) attendance at continuing legal education seminars meeting the requirements set forth above;
(2) lecturing at and/or preparation of outline material of such continuing legal education seminars;
(3) authoring articles or books published in professional periodicals or other professional publications;
(4) teaching courses in “health law” at an approved law school or other graduate or undergraduate level program presented by a recognized professional education association;
(5) completing such home study programs as may be approved by the board of legal specialization and education or the health law certification committee, subject to the limitation that no more than 50 percent of the required number of hours of education may be satisfied through home study programs; or
(6) such other methods as may be approved by the health law certification committee.
The board of legal specialization and education or the health law certification committee shall, by rule or regulation, establish standards applicable to this rule, including, but not limited to, the method of establishment of the number of hours allocable to any of the above-listed subdivisions. Such rules or regulations shall provide that hours shall be allocable to each separate but substantially different lecture, article, or other activity described in subdivisions (2), (3), and (4) above.
(e) Examination. Every applicant must pass a written examination designed to demonstrate sufficient knowledge, skills, and proficiency in the field of health law to justify the representation of special competence to the legal profession and the public.