Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law

Name: Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law
Brand: McCraw Law Group
Rating: 4.8 (840 reviews)

Texas tightly controls how a lawyer can describe their credentials. Under Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct 7.04(b)(2), an attorney cannot advertise a certification or specialty designation unless it comes from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) itself, or from another organization TBLS has accredited as meeting its own rigorous, publicly available standards.

The Trial Requirement TBLS Demands Before Certification

Before an attorney can even apply for certification in Personal Injury Trial Law, TBLS requires proof of real courtroom experience, not just years in practice. An applicant must have tried at least 10 contested civil cases as lead counsel to a verdict or judgment in a Texas court of record, and at least 5 of those must be personal injury jury trials. The applicant must also show a minimum of 20 separate days in trial, with at least 10 of those days in personal injury jury trials.

Trials have become increasingly rare in personal injury practice. Many cases settle long before a jury is ever seated, and settling is often the right outcome for a client. But it also means a growing number of attorneys have never announced ready for trial, picked a jury, or argued for a verdict that changes the outcome a client was offered. TBLS built its trial requirement so that certification could not be earned on paper alone. It has to be earned in a courtroom.

The Rest of What TBLS Requires

Beyond the trial history, TBLS sets a full set of standards an applicant must meet under its Standards for Attorney Certification, Personal Injury Trial Law:

At least 5 years of full-time law practice before applying
A minimum of 25% of practice time devoted to Texas personal injury trial law in each of the 3 years immediately preceding application
60 hours of continuing legal education focused on the specialty area
At least 5 references, including 4 Texas attorneys substantially involved in personal injury trial law (one of whom the applicant must have tried a case with or against) and one judge before whom the applicant appeared as an advocate
Active, good-standing membership in the State Bar of Texas, along with a character and fitness review that requires disclosure of any disciplinary sanctions, investigations, or certain criminal matters

An applicant who falls short on any single requirement does not qualify, regardless of how long they have practiced law.

What the Certification Exam Involves

The Personal Injury Trial Law exam goes well beyond the bar exam in scope. Rather than testing knowledge across many areas of law, it digs deeply into personal injury law and related civil trial procedure, including case law that shifts how injury claims are evaluated and tried.

Preparing for it typically means setting aside dedicated study time after completing Advanced Personal Injury courses through the state bar, working through O'Connor's Causes of Action, and reading the cases behind current Advanced PI materials closely enough to know them without notes.

How Rare This Credential Actually Is

Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law is uncommon among Texas attorneys, though the exact figures depend on which source and date are used.

1,173 attorneys hold Personal Injury Trial Law certification, per TBLS's attorney search tool as of September 1, 2026
6,650 attorneys hold certification across all specialty areas combined, per TBLS as of September 1, 2026
120,000 licensed Texas attorneys, the baseline TBLS itself uses, meaning Personal Injury Trial Law certification alone accounts for under 1% of the state's licensed bar
1,206 active in-state attorneys certified in Personal Injury Trial Law out of 101,162 active in-state attorneys, about 1.19%, per the State Bar of Texas as of December 31, 2025
25 attorneys in Collin County hold this certification, per TBLS as of September 1, 2026

TBLS does not publish an annual exam pass rate, an applicant-to-certificant ratio, or a recertification and attrition rate. Because that data isn't available, an attorney's own certification and recertification history is one of the few concrete ways to see whether the credential reflects sustained trial work rather than a single qualifying year.

Recertification Proves It Wasn't a One-Time Achievement

Certification is not permanent. TBLS requires recertification every 5 years, and doing so means maintaining the 25% practice-time threshold in personal injury trial law during each year of that period, along with 100 hours of continuing legal education, well above the 60 hours required for initial certification.

The clearest evidence of what that renewal cycle actually demands comes from individual track records. Lin McCraw was first certified in 2006 and has recertified in every cycle since: 2011, 2016, 2021, and 2026, spanning two decades of continuous compliance with the practice and education requirements.

Lin McCraw, Board Certified Since 2006

Before focusing on personal injury work, Lin McCraw spent his early years in court nearly every week, trying criminal cases to a jury, family law matters to a judge, and a range of other civil cases, before gravitating toward personal injury trial work. He has since tried personal injury cases to a jury dozens of times.

Gathering the references TBLS requires, from opposing counsel, fellow attorneys, and judges he had appeared before, was part of what made the certification process meaningful to him personally. He has said it was the first time he genuinely learned how peers viewed the preparation he put into every hearing and trial, and the judgment calls he had made along the way.

"Certification doesn't make you a better lawyer. There are plenty of very good lawyers out there who aren't board certified. But I've never seen a board certified lawyer, in any discipline, that was not top notch as to knowledge and judgment. It is recognition of practical skills and good judgment over time." - Lin McCraw

Charlie Ginn, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law

Charlie Ginn, Partner and Managing Attorney at McCraw Law Group, earned his Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law from TBLS in 2025. A Baylor Law graduate, Ginn started his career as an Assistant District Attorney in Collin County before moving to the other side of the courtroom to represent injured clients, carrying his trial background from criminal prosecution directly into personal injury litigation.

Ginn now also writes and grades the certification exam for TBLS, meaning he evaluates the same trial history, practice standards, and legal knowledge in other applicants that he was required to demonstrate himself.

Why This Matters When Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer

Board Certification belongs to the individual attorney, not the firm. TBLS rules do not allow a law firm to advertise itself as board certified unless every attorney at that firm holds the certification, which is not the case at McCraw Law Group. What can be said accurately is that Lin McCraw and Charlie Ginn are each individually Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Most personal injury claims settle before trial, and a fair settlement is often the best outcome for a client. But when an insurer refuses to offer one, the case may end up in front of a judge or jury, and that is when an attorney's actual trial history matters most. TBLS certification does not guarantee a particular result in any case, but it does confirm that the attorney holding it has met a documented standard of courtroom experience, ongoing education, and peer and judicial review.

To discuss a personal injury case with a Board Certified attorney at McCraw Law Group, call (972) 945-1173.

The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.