Board Certification

Texas Board Certification-Personal Injury Trial Law

Eric Reyes is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS). The TBLS performs a very rigorous and intensive review process before certifying that a Texas attorney is a specialist in the area of personal injury trial law. Before being certifed by the TBLS the attorney must:

• have been practicing law for at least five years;
• complete continuing legal education courses in the area of personal injury law;
• be recommended by at least 10 attorneys and judges;
• document his/her litigation background since becoming licensed as an attorney;
• pass an arduous comprehensive one day written test.
• pass an ethics background check performed by the TBLS.

Additionally, the TBLS requires Eric Reyes, as a board certified attorney, to remain involved in personal injury law and be periodically recommended by other attorneys in this field. The TBLS also requires a board certified attorney to take continuing legal education courses to remain updated in the area of personal injury trial law.

National Board Certification-Civil Law

Eric Reyes is also double board certified by the National Board Of Trial Advocates. (NBTA).

nbtalawyers.org

Eric Reyes is Board Certified in Civil Law by the NBTA. Civil law is the body of rules that exist in state and federal statutes, regulations and court made law that governs the rights and remedies between private people, government, and corporations. This includes injury law. The law that controls the rights and remedies of injury claims in Texas.

Additionally, the NBTA certified Eric Reyes on February 9, 2018, in the area of Civil Practice Advocacy. This was previously named Civil Pre-trial Practice.The area of Civil Practice Advocacy includes litigation pleadings, motions, depositions, hearings, and mediations.

The NBTA also performs an extensive review process before certifying that an attorney is a specialist in the area of Civil law and Civil Practice Advocacy. To receive national recognition by the NBTA the attorney must:

• have been practicing law for at least five years;
• engaged in substantial involvement in civil cases including lead counsel in five jury cases, conducted examination in court of twenty-five lay witnesses, twenty-five cross-examinations, fifteen cross and direct-examinations of expert witnesses, presented 8 opening and closing remarks to a jury, five jury selections, conducted over one-hundred contested matters including depositions, hearings, and other evidentiary matters;
• be recommended by at least twelve attorneys and judges;
• document his litigation background since becoming licensed as an attorney;
• pass a thorough one day written test.
• pass an ethics check performed by the NBTA.
• submit a legal writing sample that exhibits expertise in Civil law.

Why Is It Important to Hire a Board-Certified Lawyer?

The legal profession, like the medical profession, contains a very large body of knowledge that makes it impossible for one lawyer to concentrate in all areas of the law. The Texas State Bar that regulates the legal profession does not require an attorney to complete any formal board certification or training to practice in any particular field of law. In Texas, the attorney’s decision to be board certified in any area of the law including personal injury law is purely voluntary.

The medical profession by comparison has embraced specialization for over a hundred years. Over 94% of all doctors are board-certified in their area of expertise. Consumers therefore have the confidence that the doctor treating their condition is truly qualified to treat their health care problem.

However in Texas, less than 8% of the 70,000 lawyers licensed to practice law are board-certified. There are eighteen areas of law that an attorney can apply for board certification ranging from criminal law to bankruptcy. Fewer than 3% of all attorneys in Texas are board certified in personal injury trial law.

Despite the fact that relatively few attorneys are board certified in Texas , most attorneys in Texas do concentrate their practice in specific areas of the law. But they do so without official substantiation beyond self promoting advertising that they take specific types of cases. Lawyers in Texas are free to accept any cases in any area of the law. Potential clients are forced to rely on word of mouth or by an attorney’s advertisements when they are seeking legal representation regarding their case.

What is a consumer to do?

By selecting a Texas board-certified attorney, a client possess the confidence that his lawyer has passed a rigorous substantive test in the area of law of his speciality, passed a professional review among his peers and judges, passed a thorough ethics investigation, and submitted documentation of his legal experience.

Call him for a free consultation. Eric Reyes has offices in Fort Worth or Dallas, Texas.