FL Criminal Trial Specialist study guide
FL Criminal Trial Specialist · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
This page is an independent study guide for the Florida Bar Board Certification program in Criminal Trial Law, a specialty credential offered by The Florida Bar to Florida lawyers who want to demonstrate advanced competence in criminal trial practice. The credential is aimed at practicing criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors who already handle felony and misdemeanor trials and want a recognized mark of specialization that distinguishes them from general practitioners. The exam is designed to test substantive and procedural criminal law, pretrial practice, trial practice, evidence, and ethics and professionalism as they arise in Florida criminal litigation. Preparation should be built around those domains: review current Florida statutes, rules of criminal procedure, evidence code provisions, and professionalism standards, then practice applying them to realistic trial scenarios. Note that this page is not affiliated with The Florida Bar. The Bar's own certification page for this program returned a 'not found' error when checked on November 5, 2026, so verified details on format, length, scoring, fees, and eligibility could not be confirmed from the official source. Topics on this exam: Criminal Trial Law (substantive and procedural law, pretrial practice, trial practice, evidence, ethics and professionalism). The FL Criminal Trial Specialist study guide has 1 section and about 468 words.
01Criminal Trial Law (Substantive and Procedural Law, Pretrial Practice, Trial Practice, Evidence, Ethics and Professionalism)
This domain tests application of Florida criminal law from arrest through post-verdict. Expect scenario questions that mix procedure, evidence, and ethics rather than isolated definitions. Dismissal under Fla. 3.190(c)(4) requires undisputed facts that fail to establish a prima facie case; the court may not weigh credibility.
468 words, about 2 minMore study resources for FL Criminal Trial Specialist
- Practice questionsUnder the Fourth Amendment, a warrantless arrest of a person in a public place is constitutionally permissible when the officer has which of the following?
- FlashcardsSpeedy trial recapture period. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191, after a demand for speedy trial, the state has 15 days to bring the defendant to trial or the defendant is discharged.
- Cheat sheetFlorida categorizes crimes into felonies (punishable by death or imprisonment in state prison) and misdemeanors (county jail); degrees (capital, life, first, second, third) set statutory maximums under Fla.
- Key termsFlorida Rules of Criminal Procedure. The set of court-adopted rules governing criminal case flow in Florida courts, covering charging, arraignment, discovery, motions, trial, verdict, and post-trial practice.
- Study planMap the full substantive and procedural law outline into a personal one-page taxonomy covering pretrial, trial, evidence, and ethics sub-areas.
- Common mistakesMost bar-style study material and many candidates' prior training is federal-first; Florida's constitution and rules of criminal procedure often supply an independent and sometimes more protective or more demanding standard, and candidates default to the familiar federal framework under time pressure.
- Exam-day guideBring the unexpired ID in the exact name on your registration.