Awards
- Texas Super Lawyer, 2005-2009
- A-V Rated, Martindale-Hubble
- Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Board Certified in Criminal Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification
Texas Super Lawyer, 2005-2009
Mike has been named a Texas Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly Magazine for the last 5 consecutive years. This is a prestigious honor that only the top 5% of all Texas Lawyers achieve. Link to Mike's Texas Super lawyers Web Page:
How Super Lawyers Are Selected, from Texas Super Lawyers:
The General Survey In February of this year, we mailed more than 65,000 ballots to attorneys across Texas. We asked attorneys to vote for the best lawyers they have personally observed in action - whether as opposing counsel, as co-counsel, from first-person observation in the courtroom, etc. Our intent was to discourage lawyers from voting for others based purely on reputation.
Each ballot had the name of the addressee-attorney on it. Only ballots properly verified by that attorney (with signature and attorney registration number filled in) were counted.
We received more than 65,000 nominating votes. Each lawyer was given a score based on the number of votes he or she received and where these votes came from. Votes received from lawyers in other firms were awarded significantly more points than votes received from lawyers in the same firm.
The Screening Process Lawyers who received only same-firm votes were eliminated from the list of candidates. In other words, in order to be considered for inclusion, a lawyer had to have received votes from lawyers outside his or her firm or organization.
We also kept track of who voted for whom. We did this to watch for what we call "back-scratch voting;" that is, two lawyers voting for each other. If we noticed a disproportionate number of back-scratch votes, we eliminated that lawyer from our list of candidates.
Our staff also conducted research on each nominee (whose vote total exceeded a particular threshold level) to ensure that the lawyer is properly licensed, is in good standing with the Bar, and has no history of disciplinary actions that would warrant his or her removal from the list.
The Blue Ribbon Panel Review The lawyers who remained on the list were then divided according to their areas of practice. A blue ribbon panel consisting of the top vote-getters from our general survey was assembled for each area of practice. We also asked managing partners of law firms to nominate members of their firms to serve on the panel. Those who met a minimum point threshold were also added to the panel. These panels reviewed the list of nominees in their areas of practice. The blue ribbon review process yielded a positive or negative point total for each nominee. This point total was then added to the lawyers' scores.
The Final Selection Process We ranked lawyers according to their final scores. We cut off the list so that no more than 5 percent of the total Texas Bar would be included.
You can see all Texas Super Lawyers listed in three ways: alphabetically by last name, sorted by geographic location, or by up to five areas of practice per lawyer.
A-V Rated, Martindale-Hubble
Mike has earned the prestigious top rating of "A-V Rated" by Martindale Hubble.
http://www.martindale.com/J-Michael-Price-II/1647087-lawyer.htm
Martindale-Hubble Ratings Info:
Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of bar members and the judiciary, and attest to the individual lawyer's legal ability and adherence to professional standards of ethics. Exclusive to the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, ratings are accepted as exceptionally valuable benchmarks by members of the legal community, and testify to the unique and respected position the Law Directory occupies in the legal profession. They are intended for the use of lawyers and law firms in the practice of their profession.
Martindale-Hubbell solicits confidential opinions from members of the Bar, including those who have ratings and those who do not. In addition, members of the Judiciary are queried. Opinions are solicited via written questionnaires and by Martindale-Hubbell representatives who conduct interviews.
Ratings fall into two categories: Legal Ability and General-Ethical Standards. Unless a rating is established in both categories, no rating is published.
The Legal Ability Ratings (C, B, A) take into consideration the standard of ability for the area where the lawyer practices, the attorney's expertise, nature of practice and qualifications relevant to the profession. Where a lawyer's practice is limited or specialized, rating opinions are made on the basis of performance in those specific fields of law.
The General-Ethical Standards Rating (V) covers adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.
In the United States, 43% of the active bar is rated. Omission of individual lawyer ratings should not be construed as unfavorable since Martindale-Hubbell does not undertake to develop ratings for every lawyer. In addition, certain lawyers have requested their ratings not be published. In other instances, definitive information required to establish a rating has yet to be developed.
Ratings reflect career development.
A lawyer's Rating will generally improve over time. But Ratings can be revised downward, or even removed if a decline is noted in ability or ethical standards.
- A CV Rating is an excellent first Rating and a statement of a lawyer's above average ability and very high ethics.
- A BV Rating is an indication of an exemplary reputation and well-established practice. A typical lawyer is in mid-career, with a significant client base and high professional standing.
- An AV Rating shows that a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence. He or she has usually practiced law for many years, and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.
- A (T) after the AV, BV or CV Rating indicates that the rating was established in another state or province. Ratings are generally transferable within state boundaries, and can also be transferred inter-state or inter-province, with the (T) symbol, indicating the rating was established in another jurisdiction.
Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
In 2001, Mike became Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. While most attorneys have to practice 10, 15 or 20 years to reach the experience level necessary to achieve Board Certification, Mike met the rigorous requirements and passed the exam after being licensed for 6 years.
TEXAS BOARD OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION
What is a Criminal Law Board Certified Attorney?
The consumer can identify a Criminal Law Board Certified attorney in one of many ways. A Criminal Law Board Certified attorney is entitled to indicate certification on business cards and letterhead by stating "Board Certified - Criminal Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization." The attorney may also display the Certificate of Special Competence awarded by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and list the certification in legal directories and telephone listings under "Attorneys - Board Certified." Initial certification is valid for a period of five years. To remain certified, an attorney must apply for recertification every five years and meet practice, peer review and continuing legal education requirements for the specialty field. An attorney who is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law must have experience in the preparation and trial of serious criminal matters. The attorney must also have extensive knowledge of state and federal constitutional law, evidence, procedure and penal laws involved in the trial of these matters. A relatively small percentage of all Texas lawyers are board certified in a particular area of specialization.
To become Board Certified in Criminal Law, an attorney must have:
- Been licensed to practice law for at least five years
- Devoted a required percentage of practice to criminal law for at least three years
- Handled a wide variety of criminal law matters to demonstrate experience and involvement
- Attended criminal law continuing education seminars regularly to keep legal training up to date
- Been evaluated by fellow lawyers and judges
- Passed a day-long written examination covering state & federal criminal law
The Texas Board of Legal Specialization was created by, and operates under the authority of, the Supreme Court of Texas. Its members are appointed by the President of the State Bar of Texas. The Board administers the program by which an attorney may earn a certificate of special competence in a particular field of law. The program is voluntary and is funded entirely by fees imposed on participating attorneys.
For more information please write to:
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
P.O. Box 12487
Austin, Texas 78711-2487
or call
(512) 463-1454
(800) 204-2222 ext. 1454
Fax: (512) 477-7719
Board Certified in Criminal Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification
In 2006, Mike become one of only 5 lawyers in the Dallas area to be Board Certified in Criminal Law by both the Texas Board of Legal Certification and the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. Click here for more information and to review Mike's NBLSC web Page:
http://www.nblsc.us/find_board_certified_lawyers/J.%20Michael_Price%20II/
About the NBLSC
The National Board of Legal Specialty Certification is an outgrowth of the National Board of Trial Advocacy. The NBLSC is an organization accredited by the American Bar Association to provide certification. It has developed over the years to where it has several divisions including the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) which was the original non-profit organization dedicated to certifying lawyers as being competent.
The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) was founded in 1977 as a non-profit organization it was initially located in Boston, MA before moving to Wrentham, MA. The NBTA is dedicated to bettering the quality of trial advocacy in our nation's courtrooms and assisting the consumer of legal services in finding experienced and highly qualified trial lawyers. Theodore I. Koskoff was the Founder and, until 1987, served as the President and Chairman of the Board. In addition to being Senior Partner in the Bridgeport, Connecticut law firm of Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder, Mr. Koskoff was a pioneer in the field of specialization. He was also a Past President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Roscoe Pound Foundation and the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. NBTA was housed, and fully supported by the American Association for Justice (AAJ) until its move to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1987 when it became an independent nonprofit corporation.
The NBLSC is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) to certify lawyers in the specialty areas of civil, criminal, family law trial advocacy and social security disability advocacy. The organization went through a rigorous application process wherein panels were chosen by the ABA-Standing Committee on Specialization to evaluate each aspect of NBLSC's structure. This review included not only our standards and certification policies but also an intensive evaluation of all aspects of the operation from financial solvency to a complete screening of all decision makers.
The NBLSC like the NBTA has a philosophy that bona fide attorney certification programs--particularly in trial advocacy--can substantially advance the public interest. Over 35 years ago, then-Chief Justice Burger commented that "some system of certification for trial advocates is an imperative and long overdue step." Burger, The Special Skills of Advocacy: Are Specialized Training and Certification of Advocates Essential to Our System of Justice? 42 Fordham L.Rev. 227 (1973.)
In his view, the absence of certification programs "has helped bring about the low state of American trial advocacy and a consequent diminution in the quality of our entire system of justice." pg. 230 He expressly endorsed "certification of the one crucial specialty of trial advocacy that is so basic to a fair system of justice and has had historic recognition in the common law system." pg. 239
NBLSC's areas of certification are civil, criminal, family law trial advocacy, and social security disability. The standards set forth by the Board of Directors are challenging and meaningful. NBLSC is a voluntary certification. It is not a requirement to practice law and, therefore, any lawyer who has taken the extra time and effort to achieve this credential can be justifiably proud. A consumer of legal services who chooses an NBLSC member can be sure of obtaining a highly experienced trial law practitioner.
