MSBA Certifies Peter Schmit as Civil Trial Specialist
Dec 2, 2008
Posted with permission from MSBA
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota State Bar Association announced it has certified Peter A. Schmit of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., as a Civil Trial Specialist: an attorney who has completed a rigorous approval process to establish full qualifications for reliable experience and skills as a specialist in their practice area. MSBA Board Certified Civil Trial Law Specialists have participated in the preparation and trial of significant civil cases. They are familiar with the negotiation and pre-trial process, as well as with the rules of evidence, procedure, and law involved in civil cases. This certification makes Schmit one of a limited number of attorneys in Minnesota to have earned the credential. Approximately 2% of the attorneys belonging to the MSBA Civil Trial Specialist Section are board certified as civil trial specialists. Becoming a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist is one way for him to demonstrate his commitment to civil trial work. Clients have the peace of mind knowing his credentials have been documented by an independent organization.
Certification is recognized in many professions as a reliable way to identify practitioners who have demonstrated superior knowledge, skill and integrity in a specific field. Although relatively new to the legal profession, the medical profession has been certifying specialists for close to 100 years. "Specialist certification helps prospective clients identify an attorney who can assist them in a highly professional manner and has grown in importance as the number of lawyers continues to increase and the areas of law become ever more complex," states former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice James H. Gilbert.
The Minnesota State Bar Association Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist credential is earned by successfully completing a day-long examination, demonstrating a substantial level or experience and legal education in trial skills, passing a disciplinary check and successfully obtaining objective review by judges and attorneys who have actually seen the attorney in court appearances. Compliance with certification standards is audited every year. Every six years the specialist must be recertified to insure that the attorney has maintained his expertise.
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