How do you rate a lawyer? How do you find a specilized one?

[tangent4ronpaul]

Are there any (free) web sites that do this?

-t

[Weston White]

A good resource is (which may or may not include client feedback within their listing): http://lawyers.findlaw.com/

And you might be able to locate more on them, although as a company through the BBB: http://www.bbb.org/

[tod evans]

Word of mouth is the only way I know.

If there's negative press online you can bet the lawyer is going on the attack.

They are all "officers of the court" before they're your advocate, don't ever forget that!

[better-dead-than-fed]

Are there any (free) web sites that do this?

-t

Don't count on a state Bar Association to publish or investigate complaints against lawyers. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d7wcL3vj-_033bOilZvCkGJf0Gil37WHe-8tjNlCYDA/edit?pli=1)

[better-dead-than-fed]

They are all "officers of the court" before they're your advocate, don't ever forget that!

Jones v. Barnes, 463 US 745 - Supreme Court 1983 (http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17041721050738416263&q=jones+v+barnes&hl=en&as_sdt=2,3):


A lawyer and his client do not always have the same interests. Even with paying clients, a lawyer may have a strong interest in having judges and prosecutors think well of him.... Good lawyers undoubtedly recognize these temptations and resist them, and they endeavor to convince their clients that they will. It would be naive, however, to suggest that they always succeed in either task.

[Tod]

Good luck with that. My family and I worked with several attorneys concerning a mineral rights issue over the past year, and we learned quite a bit about the law that pertained to our issue in the process. What was disturbing was how one attorney represented himself as an "expert" on the topic but then inadvertently revealed just how little he knows about a particular Ohio law by making an incorrect assertion about the purpose of it long after we had become familiar with the purpose through multiple very reliable sources.

My only advice is: take advantage of the free initial consultation and internet resources to learn as much about the issue yourself and to gain a feel for attorneys and their level of understanding of the issue and their level of assertiveness on your behalf. The more you know, the better your chances of being able to recognize whether your attorney is serving you well. During the initial consultation make sure they explain the laws and how they apply to your case.