I would venture to say that having a review system for attorneys are a good idea because it keeps them all honest, but how can you rate someone when you don’t know who they are, what their ethics are, their personality and do they really care for their client’s cause? I’d rather hire an average/good attorney who cared about me and my situtation rather than a excellent rated attorney who really only cares about the bottom line.

It’s like choosing a doctor based on a number. If you had 10 doctors who had a 10/10 rating, I would want the doctor who had the best bedside manner, and who had a genuine concern about my health and well being. There are other variables that you can’t plug into an algorithm at play when hiring professionals.

Sometime you just have to think and gather your own information and try to make a good informed decision for yourself instead of relying on someone else to tell you who is good and who isn’t.

If these scum sucking lawyers cared at all about rating systems, these same lawyers would go after all rating systems for all sites. But, no, they are simply trying to quell the voice of the people to simply rate their experiences. I bet if these lawyers got a ten out of ten, there would be no lawsuit.

American lawyers, or all lawyers in general, are terrible people. Well, not all. But most I’ve encountered don’t really know that much, are inexperienced, lazy and will ONLY take on a case when there is real money involved. And, of course, the almighty retainer. Never give one, but all want one. I’m a contractor and I’m expected to give everyone a quote on my work. Lawyers, no way. They can charge and charge and charge and NEVER do anything but charge and charge and charge. And there is nothing anyone out there can do about no matter what any idiotic lawyer says on this blog or anywhere else.

I hate lawyers. I hate the profession. And the world would be a much better place without them.

The same people who want this to be a simple story (”censorship! free speech!”…”they hate Avvo for its freedom!”) are the same people who will jump down Avvo’s throat and…find a lawyer….to sue when they hire a lawyer based on a web site rating and something goes wrong.

While the intentions of big firm lawyers is always suspect, both sides are composed of the same type of lawyer, so it’s hardly David vs. Goliath on behalf of the little guy at work here.

Now, I have issues with the complaint too, but the dumbing down of the argument isn’t helping anyone.

And, those people who see this as an opportunity to dump on lawyers, well, enjoy yourselves. The majority of lawyers AREN’T bad people, but it’s a lot more fun to blame them for everything than to take responsibility.

Clients have responsibilities too, and if they hire a stupid or poorly trained or socially irresponsible lawyer, if they hire a lawyer based on a rating, if they hire a lawyer who ignores them and treats them badly and takes their money or gives incredibly bad advice…welll, at some point, it’s not the bad lawyers fault: it’s yours.

Education is a funny thing. Let’s say Avvo gets it right (and they truly could)… are people then going to step up when they make a bad choice and take responsibility for it?

No, more likely, they will continue to blame the lawyers for everything that happens to them. People who use up all their assets fighting in divorce will continue to blame it on the lawyers for zealous representation. People in business will still blame the lawyers, when they hire them to find ways to get around the law. And, people who go to jail for something they actually did will blame the lawyer for not getting them off.

Yes, lawyers do things that aren’t socially responsible, but since when has that bothered anyone in the hundreds of other occupations, who are the same ones asking them to do it?

Are there bad lawyers? You betcha! Are they to blame for everyone’s legal woes: give me a break.

- then the site should check public records / to make sure your court date is real…
- then post your rating ….

- after that - its all fair game.

- anything less / and it not due / diligence

The default rating for all lawyers seems to be a 6.5/10. The only lawyers who have different ratings are those with disciplinary actions against them and those who have gotten specific awards or something.

I only used the example of the Supreme Court because they are well known AND should probably be rated higher than almost everyone whether you agree or disagree w/their politics.

Try another well-known lawyer: David Boies (prosecuted Microsoft, defended Napster, etc.) he also gets a 6.5/10. But yet Deborah Rhode, the Stanford Law prof who sits on the Avvo board, gets a 10/10. I doubt there is much of a difference in the quality of their work as a lawyer.

Then look up your neighborhood shady personal injury attorney and they will probably also get a 6.5/10 unless they were actually formally disciplined.

I think the one good thing Avvo does is make the disciplinary actions easily accessible, because normally members of the public will not be able to find that without a lot of effort.

I think the overall idea of the site is a good idea but it really needed a ton of work and a ton more data before it went public. They should have just started with the disciplinary actions and no numerical ratings, I think, since those are facile and easily misinterpreted.

Apparently their system rated my less than ideal attorney almost perfectly. I would never have hired this guys firm had I seen this information earlier.

Shame on me for believing his sales pitch. Everything his firm provided I had to personally undo.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/-xDUBLbY1MaKq2iroqf-xw (cough cough)

The ratings system is just a red herring. The scum sucking lawyers in this country don’t want anyone to criticize them or hold them accountable. They want to continue ruining this country by stealing from all of us and don’t appreciate anyone pointing a light at them.

99.99999% of lawyers are nothing but a fucking scourge and plaque upon our country.

I can understand why Avno is being sued, but hope they win. I would gladly share my experience with this attorney in a forum like theirs (and post positive reviews for the lawyers who did good work for us).

…so what?

Look up US Supreme Court Justices.
Samuel Alito: 6.5/10.
John Paul Stevens: 6.5/10 (kinda common name but i’m sure it’s him because it says he has been practicing for 49 years, which he has been)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 6.5/10

Didn’t seem to have data on the rest of the Supreme Court.

Then I looked up Andrew Speaker, the 31-year-old GA personal injury lawyer who is famous for globetrotting with drug-resistant TB. He gets a 7.4/10.

Let me emphasize this: a guy who has been practicing law for like 3 years gets a higher rating than 3 Supreme Court Justices. Probably because he went to the trouble of submitting some softball awards or something.

for more on this: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/.....-web-site/

Isn’t that what blogs are, opinions? So if I aggregated blog news would I get sued?

There are far too many lawyers on this planet, struggling to justify their existence by suing everyone left and right.

That is my opinion anyway. Please don’t feel threatened, I would never harm a human, not even a lawyer.