§ 3.03 Eligibility for Accreditation
3.03 Eligibility for Accreditation
To be eligible to become an accredited organization, an applicant must:
(a) demonstrate its dedication to the identification of lawyers who possess an enhanced level of skill, expertise, and
professionalism, and to the continued development and improvement of the professional competence of lawyers;
(b) demonstrate sufficient resources and personnel who, by experience, education and professional background, have the ability to direct such program(s) in a manner consistent with these policies;
(c) include a governing body, a majority of which are lawyers who have substantial involvement in the specialty area and are responsible for the review of lawyers for certification;
(d) define the specialty area(s) in which applicant certifies or proposes to certify lawyers as specialists in understandable terms for potential users of legal services in a manner that will not lead to confusion with other specialty areas;
(e) demonstrate that applicant organization's certification and recertification requirements are not arbitrary, can be clearly understood and easily applied, and that its programs operate in accordance with these policies;
(f) certify only lawyers who have satisfied each requirement and who continue to maintain such requirements comparable to, but no less than, those required for certification under the Florida plan;
(g) not require membership or completion of educational programs offered by any specific organization for certification; and,
(h) not discriminate against any lawyer seeking certification on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age.