The Supreme Court of Ohio is accepting public comment on proposed amendments to the Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio and the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct. The amendments would revise the responsibilities of the Supreme Court and its Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists.
In Ohio, attorneys may obtain certification as specialists in certain fields of law, such as child welfare law or labor and employment law. The Supreme Court does not directly certify attorneys as specialists but provides a two-step process for specialization recognition.
First, an organization applies for a field of law to be considered for specialization through the Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists. If accepted by the commission, its representatives recommend the field of law to be approved by the Supreme Court. Second, once the Supreme Court recognizes the field of law, the organization applies to the commission to be accredited to certify attorneys as specialists practicing in that field.
Currently, attorneys are prohibited from communicating that they are a specialist in a field of law unless the attorney has been certified as a specialist by an accredited organization. The attorney must identify the name of the organization in communication – email signature, letterhead, or any promotion.
The proposed amendments would enact several changes. While the Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists would continue to accredit certifying...
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