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The LBLS Board approved 39 applications for recertification as of January 1, 2024: 3 in
appellate practice; 7 in business bankt'uptcy law; 3 in consumer bankruptcy law; 10 in estate

planning and administration; 9 in family law'; and 7 in tax law.

The Advisory Commissions for each specialty remain active and are currently in the
process of grading certification examinations for their respective specialties. Their CLE
Committees diligently review and approve courses for specialization credit.

Health Law accepted its first applications for specialization beginning in January 2019.
The first Health Law take home exam was administered in the Summer of 2019. The first 24
Health Law specialists were Board certified beginning January 1, 2020. An additional eight (8)
Health Law specialists were Board certified in 2022; one (1) Health Law specialist was certified
in 2023; one (1) Health Law specialist passed away in 2023; and two (2) Health Law specialists
were certified in 2024.

Employment Law and Labor Law accepted their first applications for specialization
beginning in November 2021. The first Employment Law and Labor Law take home exams were
administered in the Summer of 2022. The first nine (9) Employment Law specialists were board
certified beginning January 1, 2023. An additional two (2) Employment Law specialists were
board certified in 2024. The first two (2) Labor Law specialists were board certified in 2024.

Elections were held in April, May, and June of 2024 for Advisory Commission members
and officers. Two new members are recommended to be appointed to the LBLS Board to replace
two members who served the maximum two 3-year terms on the Board.

Future of Legal Specialization

LBLS continues its outreach and advertising campaign by being proactive. LBLS works
with the LSBA to keep the LBLS website updated and to include specialization news in LSBA
publications. LBLS has remained flexible in adjusting to virtual meetings which commenced in
2020 due to the pandemic. In 2023-2024 most meetings of the LBLS Board and the Advisory
Commissions were held virtually due to convenience and health concerns. The Board meets at
least four times a year and the Advisory Commissions usually meet twice a year. The Board
sometimes takes votes on particular iSsues arising between board meetings by email.

The Louisiana Supreme Court's Order dated June 2, 2016, amending Rule 7.2(c)(5) of the
Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct, creates an unknown variable, the effect of which has
yet to be fiilly determined, allowing attorneys to represent themselves as specialists, although not

certified. The foregoing, coupled with the fact that a significant number of board-certified
specialists are approaching retirement age, causes concern that a significant loss of specialists
may result. In fact, the number of board-certified specialists retiring and resigning continued to
increase in 2023 and 2024. Board certified specialists 65 and over have also expressed concerns
about attending required specialization CLE in person, due to health issues and difficulty with

601 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70130-3404
(504)619-0128; (800)421-LSBA, ext. 128; fax (504)566-0930; www.lsba.org/Specialization/
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