Animal law panel, intellectual property certification get thumbs up.

The Animal Law Committee, approved provisionally a year ago, has been authorized as a regular substantive law Bar committee and a new certification area has been approved by the Bar, while another has been sent back for more work.

The Bar Board of Governors approved those recommendations from the Program Evaluation Committee in October.

Reporting for the committee, board member Richard Tanner noted there was some concern when the Animal Law Committee was initially approved last year that it would become an animal rights advocacy body rather than a panel that addresses animal law issues likely to be confronted by practitioners. Therefore, it was given conditional status and required to undergo another PEC review after its first year.

"I think they have done what we asked them to do and they are deserving of being a substantive law committee," Tanner reported. He noted the PEC wanted the committee to have at least 50 members and after a year it has more than 75, with good attendance at its meetings.

Board member Gary Leppla said he attended the seminar sponsored by the committee and found it excellent, adding anything that involves Bar members in Bar work is desirable.

On the certification issues, Tanner said the committee recommended approval on the proposed new intellectual property area and the board approved that. But he said the Government Lawyer Section and the Administrative Law Section wanted more time to work out a dispute over the proposed state and federal government and administrative practice certification area.

The Administrative Law Section has objected to the name, saying it could allow certification of lawyers who don't have administrative law experience and hence would be misleading to the public. The Government Lawyer Section has argued that administrative law encompasses more than just F.S. Ch. 120 and its federal equivalent, and the name is proper.

"They are negotiating once again and expect to have a submission by December [at the board's next meeting]," Tanner said.

Bar President Alan Bookman said the issue would be back on the Bar's December agenda, even if the two sections didn't reach an agreement.

On other PEC matters, Tanner reported:

* The committee reviewed revisions to CLE rules and policies before the board on first reading and found them minor housekeeping matters. They will come back to the board in December for final approval.