Rule 7.4. of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct provides direction for any lawyer who wants to become a â€œspecialistâ€ in an area of law:
A lawyer shall not state or imply that the lawyer is a specialist in a particular field of law, unless:
The lawyer has been certified as a specialist by an Independent Certifying Organization accredited by the Indiana Commission for Continuing Legal Education pursuant to Admission and Discipline Rule 30; and,
The certifying organization is identified in the communication.
In order to become Board-Certified in Indiana as a â€œCriminal Law Specialistâ€ it requires that the attorney meet the criteria of the National Board of Trial Advocacy. The criteria to become Board-Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy are rigorous. Only those attorneys who dedicate a high percentage of their practice to criminal defense, and who have acquired a high number of days in trial, will be even considered. Even then, the candidate must pass a difficult day-long test that is put together by some of the finest criminal lawyers in the nation. Not everyone passes this test, as failing the test is not infrequent. Even if the candidate passes the test, judges and other attorneys must provide confidential assessments of the attorneys skill-level and abilities in the area of criminal law to the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Becoming a Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialist is so difficult, and requires such a dedication to criminal law, that of the over 15,000 licensed lawyers in the state of Indiana, only 6 exist that hold that title. 5 of them â€” Andy Baldwin, Mark Kamish, Kathie Perry, Max Wiley, and Carrie Miles â€” work in our law firm for the Criminal Defense Team of The Criminal Defense Team, and collectively have been Board-Certified for over 5 years.â€*
*Andrew Baldwin, Mark Kamish, Kathie Perry, Maxwell Wiley, and Carrie Miles are recognized as Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocates by the National Board of Trial Advocacy