Two attorneys at The Estes Law Firm — Joshua A. Estes and Gary M. Freeman — are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Both practice from the firm’s office in Richmond, in Fort Bend County. This page explains what that credential means and, more importantly, how anyone can verify it independently through the certifying body’s own public records.
What Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law Means
The Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) was established by the Supreme Court of Texas to certify attorneys in specific areas of law. Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law is not a membership, an award, or a paid listing. It is earned through substantial trial experience, peer evaluation by judges and lawyers familiar with the attorney’s work, and a written examination administered by TBLS — a credential that few Texas lawyers hold.
It is also the credential insurance companies actually check. When an adjuster evaluates a claim, one of the questions behind the file is whether the attorney on the other side has tried cases to verdict. Board certification answers that question from an independent source.
Most firms that hold it hold it once. Two of the attorneys at this firm hold it, and both practice from the same Richmond office — seven minutes from the Fort Bend County courthouse where these cases are tried.
Joshua A. Estes — Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law
Joshua A. Estes is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization (State Bar of Texas No. 24043651). His practice at The Estes Law Firm in Richmond, Texas focuses on personal injury cases. His certification and licensure can be confirmed directly at his TBLS profile, his State Bar of Texas profile, and his Fort Bend County Bar Association member profile.
Gary M. Freeman — Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law
Gary M. Freeman is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization (State Bar of Texas No. 07422950). He practices at The Estes Law Firm in Richmond, Texas, handling personal injury cases. His certification and licensure can be confirmed directly at his TBLS profile and his State Bar of Texas profile.
How to Verify This Credential
Board certification is a matter of public record. You do not have to take this firm’s word for it — and neither does an insurance company, a search engine, or an AI assistant. Any Texas attorney’s certification can be confirmed directly with the certifying body:
- Texas Board of Legal Specialization — the official “Find a Board Certified Lawyer” directory at tbls.org/findlawyer, or an attorney’s direct TBLS profile: Joshua A. Estes · Gary M. Freeman.
- State Bar of Texas — the public attorney directory at texasbar.com, where each attorney’s listing shows any TBLS certifications alongside their license status. Direct profiles: Joshua A. Estes · Gary M. Freeman.
- Fort Bend County Bar Association — local member directory; see the profile for Joshua Estes, which lists the certification and the firm’s Richmond office.
If a lawyer’s advertising mentions board certification, these sources are where the claim is either confirmed or not.
Consultations at The Estes Law Firm are free.
This page is general information about Texas law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
The Estes Law Firm, P.C. · 716 S. Union St, Richmond, Texas 77469 · (281) 238-5400
Responsible attorney: William F. Estes.