(a) Purpose. By identifying attorneys who have a high degree of experience in certain fields of law, a legal specialization program will improve the quality of legal services and provide useful information for those seeking legal services.

(b) Board. The State Bar of Arizona will administer the program through a Board of Legal Specialization (“BLS”) under the supervision of this Court.

(c) BLS Members. The BLS will consist of thirteen members, as follows: eight practicing attorneys, four of whom are not specialists and four of whom are certified specialists; one representative from an ABA-accredited law school in Arizona; and four members of the public. Members of the BLS will be nominated by the Board of Governors and appointed by this Court. BLS members will serve four-year terms, with a limit of two terms. The BLS chair will be nominated by the Board of Governors and appointed by this Court from among the BLS members. The BLS chair will be a voting member of the board. The BLS chair will serve a two-year term and may be appointed to a second term.

(d) BLS Rules. The BLS will be governed by rules approved by this Court. Such rules will designate, among other things, recognized areas of specialization, objective criteria for qualifying as a certified specialist, and the procedures for attorneys to obtain certification. The rules shall assure due process to all applicants. The BLS will grant certification to those applicants who meet the objective criteria designated in the rules.

(e) Limitations. The BLS may not require an attorney to be a certified specialist in order to practice in a particular area, nor may the BLS limit the right of a certified specialist to practice in other fields of law or to associate with attorneys who are not specialists.

(f) Discretionary Review. An attorney aggrieved by a decision of the BLS may file a verified petition for review with this Court within 20 days after the decision becomes final. The attorney must succinctly state the facts that form the basis of the petition and the attorney's reasons for seeking review. The attorney must promptly serve the BLS with a copy of the petition. The BLS will have 30 days after service to file a response and to transmit the attorney's file to this Court. The Court will then decide whether to grant review.