Boyd & Jenerette is excited to reveal that Shareholder Kansas R. Gooden has been appointed Chair of the Board of Legal Specialization & Education (BLSE) by The Florida Bar.

About the Board of Legal Specialization & Education (BLSE)

Through administration of the certification plan, the BLSE is charged with identifying for the general public and the profession those attorneys who have substantial experience and have demonstrated special knowledge, skills and proficiency in certified areas of practice and professionalism and ethics in the practice of law. The BLSE oversees the work of all the certification committees. These committees are responsible for proposing criteria for the issuance and renewal of certification, reviewing applications, developing and grading examinations, and recommending to the BLSE certificates be issued to those individuals found to have met both the minimum standards imposed by the certification plan and the particular standards in the area for which certification is sought. The BLSE also has oversight responsibility for the evaluation of all CLE accreditation submissions, member compliance with the Continuing Legal Education Requirement (CLER), and the Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR).

Boyd & Jenerette extends heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Gooden on her appointment as Chair of the BLSE. Her exceptional leadership is poised to propel the committee to unprecedented achievements, fostering a community of skilled, informed, and principled practitioners within The Florida Bar for years to come.

About Kansas R. Gooden

Kansas R. Gooden, a Board Certified Appellate Specialist and AV Rated attorney, serves as the firm’s General Counsel and Appellate Practice Group Leader.  Ms. Gooden currently works remotely for the firm in Miami. Through her remote work, she efficiently and cost-effectively serves her client’s needs.

Ms. Gooden has extensive experience handling all types of civil appellate proceedings in the Florida Supreme Court, all Florida District Courts of Appeal, and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  She is often retained in cases at or headed to the Florida Supreme Court or is retained to develop statewide litigation strategy to effectuate change in the common law.  She is one of the only attorneys—and likely the only woman—who has argued back-to-back cases on the same day before the Florida Supreme Court.

Many of Ms. Gooden cases are those of first impression, and those involving insurance coverage and bad faith issues.  Clients trust Ms. Gooden to handle their high-profile appellate litigation.

In addition to handling appeals, she also provides litigation and trial support to attorneys throughout the state. She is often called upon to attend trials and hearing to assist in preserving the error for later appeal.

Ms. Gooden is highly involved in the state and local bar associations and has served in many leadership roles.   Ms. Gooden served as the President of Florida Defense Lawyers Association, the statewide civil defense bar, in 2021-2022.  She still chairs the organization’s Amicus Committee and has since 2017.  On behalf of the organization, she authors and co-authors amicus briefs in important cases impacting tort, litigation, and insurance issues.

Ms. Gooden is the Chair of the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section.  She has been active in the Appellate Practice Section for over a decade. She has served on the Executive Council and previously chaired the CLE Committee for several years.

Ms. Gooden also currently serves on the Florida Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization and Education. This committee oversees the certification committees and CLE accreditation for the bar.  She previously served on and chaired the Florida Bar’s Appellate Board Certification Committee, which writes and grades the appellate board certification test. The examination tests an applicant’s knowledge of state and federal appeals in the areas of civil, criminal, administrative, worker’s compensation, probate, and family law. The committee also examines the fitness of the candidates for board certification and those applying for recertification.

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