Answers of the Week

With lawyer ratings being discussed and debated so much lately, we thought it would be interesting to get readers’ views on how lawyers should be assessed. One ratings service—Avvo—has been the topic of many a blawg lately, and it is in fact is the target of a class action lawsuit. Responses indicate that many lawyers believe peers are the best judges of competence, while many others say clients are the best source of feedback. Here are our favorites:

I believe that the way it is primarily done now is the best method: honest peer review based upon competence and integrity. To be more encompassing, I would suggest adding additional characteristics such as professionalism, decorum, responsiveness, etc. I would also add additional rankings.

It has always been said that word of mouth is the best advertisement, and this sort of professional review lends itself to that sort of accuracy. There can be no true objective “outside” analysis of attorneys. It has to be done by attorneys themselves who have experience with a particular lawyer. With a wide array of attributes and characteristics, and a refrain from affixing labels such as “super” and “best,” the public will be more informed, and attorneys will have a professional goal to shoot for and aspire to. A win-win for all.

Jason Massaro
Indianapolis


The practice of law is not a simple mathematical equation involving straightforward variables and foreseeable outcomes. A good lawyer must be aware of the law, the judicial system and the litigants’ particular circumstances. To rate a lawyer would require both fairness and reasonable expectations, which often seem in short supply in today’s society. A good rating should be based upon a lawyer’s ability to present the facts in a way that neither perverts justice nor misleads the court. The best lawyers will help their clients to make these assessments without needing to take the matter to court.

Barbara Merkel
San Diego


Ask the lawyer’s current and past administrative assistants to rate the lawyer on integrity, efficiency, soundness of judgment and interpersonal skills. If anyone really knows a lawyer's merits, it’s the admins!

Angela Davison
Troy, Mich.


I would say it should be a combination of experience in an area of law, ability to perform well for the client and availability of the lawyer to meet the needs of the client. If lawyers can be more approachable and less intimidating, the legal profession would bring back the respect it has lost along the way.

Nishat Azam
Orlando, Fla.


An attorney who answers the client's questions, is honest about the potential results, meets deadlines, and returns phone calls and letters is likely to be successful. Of course, winning the case might trump all of that.

Debra Bollinger
Richmond, Va.


One test: what do the lawyer’s clients say about him or her?

Fred Moss
Dallas

©2007 ABA Journal


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