Rule 6-11.3 - MINIMUM STANDARDS(a) Substantial Involvement. The applicant must demonstrate substantial involvement in workers' compensation law sufficient to demonstrate special competence as a workers' compensation lawyer within the 3 years immediately preceding application. Substantial involvement includes investigation, evaluation, pleadings, discovery, taking of testimony, presentation of evidence and argument, and trial of workers' compensation cases. Substantial involvement also includes active participation in the appeal of workers' compensation cases. (1)Minimum Period of Practice. The applicant must have at least 5 years of the actual practice of law of which at least 30 percent has been spent in active participation in workers' compensation law. At least 3 years of this practice must be immediately preceding application or the applicant may have served as a judge of compensation claims adjudicating workers' compensation matters during those 3 years.(2)Minimum Number of Cases. The applicant must have been responsible for all or a majority of the presentation of evidence and representation of the client in 25 contested workers' compensation cases involving substantial legal or factual issues. As partial satisfaction of the substantial involvement requirement, the workers' compensation certification committee may substitute substantial equivalents including appeals or cases involving protracted litigation. Successful completion of a trial advocacy seminar approved by the committee that includes active participation by the applicant in simulated courtroom proceedings may substitute as 1 contested workers' compensation case. The applicant may have only 10 total substantial equivalent substitutions, only 5 of which may be appeals and only 5 of which may be protracted litigation. Service as a judges of compensation claims adjudicating workers' compensation matters substitutes for 2 of the 3 years' substantial involvement.
(b) Peer Review. The applicant must submit the names and addresses of 5 lawyers to complete peer review forms. At least 1 of the 5 must be a judge of compensation claims before whom the applicant has appeared as an advocate in the trial of a workers' compensation case in the 2 years immediately preceding the application.(c) Education. The applicant must complete 45 hours of continuing legal education in workers' compensation law during the 3-year period immediately preceding the application date.(d) Examination. The applicant must pass an examination applied uniformly to all applicants to demonstrate sufficient knowledge, proficiency, and experience in workers' compensation law to justify the representation of special competence to the legal profession and the public. Added June 18, 1987, effective 7/1/1987 (508 So.2d 1236). Amended Sept. 21, 1989, effective 10/1/1989 (548 So.2d 1120); 7/23/1992, effective 1/1/1993 (605 So.2d 252); July 28-29, 1994, by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar; amended Jan. 26, 1996, by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar; amended Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 1996, by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar; amended May 21-22, 1998, by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar; amended October 21, 2011 by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar; amended and effective 12/4/2020.