Last week the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court agreed to allow the Workers’ Compensation Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association to certify attorneys in the field.
The certification process will give consumers more information in choosing an attorney who is better qualified to handle workers’ comp cases.
In 1995, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that attorneys could advertise that they were specialists in certain areas of law if they received certification from a court-approved body. Since then, the court approved groups to offer certification in practice areas including elder law and trial attorneys, but not workers’ comp. Now that’s changed.
Written certification exams may be available as early as this fall. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, have at least 5 years of experience in workers’ comp law, and spend at least half of their time practicing in the field. Certification will last for 5 years.