Lawyer-Ranking Web Site Should Be Shut Down

To The Legal Intelligencer:

I write to express my concern about a new Web site, www.Avvo.com, that claims to "rank and profile" lawyers across the country. The site claims to deliver "the information and guidance visitors need to help [them] make" the right decision on choosing an attorney "even if [they've] never worked with a lawyer before."

As far as I'm concerned, it is a misleading and disturbing tool for consumers to rely on and I believe The Legal Intelligencer's readers should be aware of its existence.

According to Mike Gunderloy of the Web Worker Daily, an online blog, Avvo rates all of the lawyers in the country on a 1 - 10 scale. The rating is based on years of experience, published articles, professional memberships, and so on. It also takes into account information supplied by lawyers themselves, such as awards they've received, and endorsements from other lawyers.

On June 14, Steve W. Berman, the managing partner of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, filed a class action suit in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleging that the site launched by the creator of the successful travel Web site Expedia violates unfair methods of competition and deceptive acts in the conduct of commerce as stated in the Washington Consumer Protection Act. The complaint alleges that the Avvo system is subject to manipulation, biased and inaccurate, and so generally bad that it needs to be shut down. I absolutely agree.

"I think it is highly dangerous to have a consumer making important choices based on a jack-legged system that puts as much emphasis on a softball award or the attorney's relationship with Avvo's CEO as it does legal prowess," Berman said. "Consumers deserve more than to be manipulated and misguided by a site claiming to be working in their interests."

What makes a good attorney cannot be quantified by years of experience, published articles, sporting awards and professional memberships. I've seen veteran lawyers get disciplined and even disbarred because of sheer laziness, cockiness and brazen disregard for their obligations under the rules of conduct. I've also read plenty of bad articles written by attorneys and know hundreds of lawyers willing to pay dues to many bar and other legal associations who never show up or get involved: They use membership for the infamous resume builders.

In my option, a good attorney is one who knows how to work within her client's personal boundaries, meet deadlines, communicate effectively with co-counsel, opposing counsel, the judiciary, jurors, witnesses, experts and especially her clients, strategize on the best outcome for her client and get the job done justly. And wasn't that why most of us went to law school in the first place: to seek and defend justice?

Gina F. Rubel, Esq.
President/CEO
Furia Rubel Communications Inc.