Award Methodology

Board certification in Florida recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice. Established in 1982 by the Florida Supreme Court, board certification helps consumers identify specialists in various areas of law.

The purpose of board certification is to identify those lawyers who practice criminal law and have the special knowledge, skills, and proficiency, as well as the character, ethics, and reputation for professionalism, to be properly identified to the public as board certified in criminal trial or appellate law.

Fewer than 1% of Florida lawyers are board certified in criminal trial law. Out of over 100,000 members of The Florida Bar, few hold this designation. This elite status represents the highest level of evaluation for competency and experience, with fewer than 0.5% of total Florida Bar members achieving it.

Michael Kessler has been board certified, continuously, for longer than most criminal lawyers have been practicing law, and the Florida Bar has reviewed and recertified him multiple times.

A Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Rating is the highest possible general rating a lawyer can receive, given only through Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review, and is established entirely on a peer-review basis.  In short, an AV Preeminent Rating indicates that the attorney is someone that many other attorneys, judges, and legal professionals would hire if they needed representation.

What separates Martindale-Hubbell is that, unlike other lawyer directories that allow lawyers to pay to be featured in their reviews, Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review is fully impartial and is compiled based on the reviews of other legal professionals around the country who have both the knowledge and experience to properly rate a lawyer’s efficacy.

​The AV Preeminent designation is particularly recognized, sought after, esteemed and coveted, as it signifies that an attorney has been rated by judges and fellow attorneys as having the highest possible rating for legal abilities and ethical standards. The AV designation is awarded to fewer than five percent (5%) of all attorneys across the United States and is the highest rating offered by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

Avvo ratings are determined by a proprietary algorithm (1-10 scale) that analyzes a lawyer’s professional background; including years in practice, disciplinary history, industry recognition, and peer/client reviews. The system weighs data from state bar associations, public records and lawyer-provided information to calculate a score for experience and reputation. 

DUI Defense Lawyers of America (DUIDLA) is a national association with approximately one thousand active members in all areas of the country. We are passionate believers that through enhanced knowledge and capabilities our members will be better prepared in dealing with these often-complex cases.

The leadership of the DUIDLA is drawn from some of the most-experienced DUI/DWI lawyers from across the country – all with years of experience in court, and in the classroom, passing on their knowledge to other lawyers.

Michael Kessler is a Founding Member of DUIDLA and a current member of its Board of Directors.