FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13 , 2008
CONTACT:   Eric Jacobs, Jacobs / Offir, P.L. 954/929-0679  or Lisa Garcia, The Florida Bar   850/561-5769

ERIC A. JACOBS  EARNS FLORIDA BAR BOARD CERTIFICATION IN REAL ESTATE
 
TALLAHASSEE – Eric A. Jacobs  is one of 14 Florida lawyers whom The Florida Bar recently certified as legal specialists in real estate, which deals with matters relating to real property transactions including but not limited to real estate conveyances, title searches, property transfers, leases, condominiums and cooperatives, interval ownership, mortgage, zoning and land use planning, real estate development and financing, real estate litigation and determination of property rights.
 
Certified attorneys are the only Florida lawyers allowed to identify or advertise themselves as specialists or experts.  Mr. Jacobs  is among the 207 attorneys who recently earned Florida Bar board certification in one of 22 specialty practice areas.
 
“Florida’s board certification program is one of the leaders in the nation in maintaining the highest standards for excellence and professionalism while adding practice areas for greater public access to legal specialists,” said Florida Bar President John G. "Jay" White, III.  “The program is predicated on experience and integrity, the foundations that are inseparable from our work as lawyers to advance the administration of justice."
 
Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys in areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida.  Board certification evaluates attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice.  Florida currently offers 22 specialty areas of practice for which board certification is available – the greatest number of state-approved certification areas in the nation.

Eric Jacobs is a lifelong Florida resident and is a founding partner in the law firm of Jacobs / Offir, P.L. as well as the principal of Jericho Title Services, Inc., a leading South Florida title company.  In addition Mr. Jacobs is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds a Master’s Degree in business administration which he earned from Nova Southeastern University.

A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets the standards prescribed by the state's Supreme Court may become board certified in one or more of the 22 certification fields. Approximately 4,200 of Florida’s 80,000 lawyers are board certified. Minimum requirements for certification are listed below; each area of certification may contain higher or additional standards.
 
-    A minimum of five years in law practice
-    Substantial involvement in the field of law for which certification is sought
-    A passing grade on the examination required of all applicants
-    Satisfactory peer review assessment of competence in the specialty field as well as character, ethics and professionalism in the practice of law
-    Satisfaction of the certification area’s continuing legal education requirements
 
For more information, please visit The Florida Bar Web site at Floridabar.org/certification or contact The Florida Bar’s Legal Specialization & Education Department at 850/561-5842.