HARRISBURG (May 19, 2016) - Eighteen lawyers are newly certified by the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Workers' Compensation Law Section as specialists in the practice of workers' compensation law. They comprise the fourth group of lawyers to have successfully completed the workers' compensation certification process. They join 195 additional lawyers currently holding certification.
In 2012, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court approved a recommendation of the PBA Review and Certifying Board to grant accreditation to the PBA Workers' Compensation Law Section as a certifying organization in the area of workers' compensation law. With the Supreme Court's order, the PBA Workers' Compensation Law Section became the first bar association entity in Pennsylvania to receive approval as a certifying organization.
Certified applicants are permitted to use the following language when communicating their certifications to the public: "Certified as a specialist in the practice of workers' compensation law by the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Section on Workers' Compensation Law as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court." A lawyer successfully completing the exam is certified for five years.
Below are the names of the lawyers who have successfully completed the 2016 certification process:
Allegheny County
Rhett P. Cherkin, Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan & Coleman LLC, Pittsburgh
Thomas G. Smith, Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan & Coleman LLC, Pittsburgh
Richard Grimes Talarico, Woomer & Hall LLP, Pittsburgh
Berks County
Mauri Lynne Levy, Morgantown
Chester County
Kristin Marie Waller, Del Collo & Mazzanti LLP, Paoli
Dauphin County
Adam Nathan Crosier, Law Offices of Katherine L. Niven & Associates LLC, Harrisburg
Scott Alan Fleischauer, Law Offices of Katherine L. Niven & Associates LLC, Harrisburg
Delaware County
Vasil L. Kirifides, Schmidt, Kirifides & Rassias, Media
Mark R. Schmidt, Schmidt, Kirifides & Rassias, Media
Franklin County
Krystal MacIntrye, DiLoreto, Cosentino & Bolinger PC
Jefferson County
Geoffrey Lynn Seacrist, Brookville
Lancaster County
Joshua L. Schwartz, Barley Snyder, Lancaster
Philadelphia County
Maureen Cassidy, Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano
Deborah B. Richman, Schaff & Young PC
Deborah A. Rocco, Rocco Law
Allison M. Wheeler, O'Hagan LLC
Schuylkill County
David M. Kraft, Krasno Krasno & Onwudinjo, Pottsville
York County
Ryan J. Murphy, Devine Law Offices LLC, York
The certification exam focuses on familiar portions of workers' compensation law and rules, as well as leading case law. The exam includes 100 multiple-choice questions (each worth one point) and two essays (each worth 10 points), which were required to be completed within four hours. Passage of the exam requires a score of at least 80 points. The examination questions are revised annually to incorporate new developments and eliminate repetitive questions.
To qualify for the exam, an applicant must establish by documentation that he or she is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, is actively engaged in the practice of law for a minimum of five years and is devoting a minimum of 50 percent of his or her practice to the specialty field of workers' compensation.
Applicants also are required to submit a variety of documents showing active practice in the workers' compensation law field and participation in Mandatory Continuing Legal Education in workers' compensation law and related fields.
The Certification Committee has the authority to revoke certification under certain circumstances, and the committee has an appeal process for such cases.
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 27,000 lawyers who are members of the association.