.1727 Inactive Status

(a) Petition for Inactive Status. The board may transfer a certified specialist to inactive status upon receipt of a petition, on a form approved by the board, demonstrating that the petitioner satisfies the following conditions:

(1) Certified for five years or more;

(2) Special circumstances unique to the specialist constituting undue hardship or other reasonable basis for exempting the specialist from the substantial involvement standard for continued certification; including, but not limited to, marriage to active-duty military personnel requiring frequent relocation, active duty in the military reserves, disability lasting a total of six months or more over a 12-month period of time, and illness of an immediate family member requiring leaves of absence from work in excess of six months or more over a 12-month period of time; and

(3)  Discontinuation of all representations of specialist certification in all communications about the lawyer’s practice.

(b) Duration of Inactive Status. If the petitioner qualifies, inactive status shall be granted by the board for a period of not more than one year at a time. No more than three years of inactive status, whether consecutive or periodic, shall be granted to any certified specialist.

(c) Designation During Inactive Status. During the period of inactive status, the certified specialist shall be listed in the board’s records as inactive. An inactive specialist shall not represent that he or she is certified during any period of inactive status; however, an inactive specialist may advertise or communicate prior dates of certification (e.g., Board Certified Specialist in Family Law 1987-2003).

(d) Annual Requirements. During the period of inactive status, the specialist shall not be required to satisfy the substantial involvement standard for continued certification in the specialty or to pay any fees; however, the specialist shall be required to satisfy the continuing legal education (CLE) standard for continued certification in the specialty. If a five-year period of certification ends during a year of inactive status, application for continued certification pursuant to Rule .1721 of this subchapter shall be deferred until return to active status.

(e) Return to Active Status. To return to active status as a certified specialist, an inactive specialist shall petition the board on a form approved by the board. The inactive specialist shall be reinstated to active status upon demonstration that he or she satisfied the CLE standard for continued certification in the specialty and the recommendation of the specialty committee. Passage of a written examination in the specialty shall not be required unless the inactive specialist failed to satisfy the CLE standard for continued certification during the period of inactivity.

(f) The right to petition for inactive status pursuant to this rule is in addition to the right to request a waiver of substantial involvement allowed by Rule .1721(c) of this subchapter.

History Note: Statutory Authority G.S. 84-23

Adopted by the Supreme Court September 28, 2017