How to Find the Legal Eagles
When President Bill Clinton gets into some legal trouble, he can ask his wife for legal advice. Most people don't have a lawyer in the family or a bevy of beltway legal eagles at their disposal. They search for legal representation by looking in the yellow pages or turning to one of those law firms with the television advertisements promising to "make the guilty party pay."
The formula for finding a good lawyer isn't much different from the approaches most consumers use to find a good mechanic, contractor or plumber.
"Your first goal is to get three names. Start by calling your area's bar association since most bar associations have a lawyer-reference service which can supply you with the names of lawyers who handle your type of case," says Carl T. Bogus, professor of law at the Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. Bogus practiced law for 18 years in Philadelphia and teaches a course on professional responsibility at the law school.
"Just remember that this is not a recommendation based on quality. These are merely lawyers who have told the reference service that they are available for this type of case," says Bogus.
You can also use the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory which is found in most libraries and or its Lawyer Locator service which is on the World Wide Web.
"This directory has white pages which list lawyers in specific geographic areas, the types of cases they handle and it supplies you with their biographies, too. Keep in mind that although firms pay to be listed in these white pages, many of the best lawyers are in this directory. A lot of the ambulance-chasing attorneys simply can't afford to be listed," says Bogus.
In addition to the white pages, there are blue pages in the beginning of the directory where lawyers are rated according to their competence and ethics.
Be wary of word-of-mouth recommendations, advises Bogus. "Clients can tell you if they're happy but they usually don't know how well the lawyer handled the matter. For example, maybe the lawyer got a $50,000 recovery when it should have been a $100,000 recovery or maybe only a $20,000 recovery."
Once you narrow your list down to three lawyers, Bogus recommends calling each of them to see if you can come to the lawyer's office and discuss your case. Let the lawyer know that you are meeting with other lawyers, too.
"Most lawyers won't charge for this. It's called a 'beauty contest' in the profession," says Bogus. Here are some questions Bogus says you shouldn't be shy about asking each lawyer:
* How long have you practiced law? What portion of your practice is devoted to handling this type of case? How many of these cases have you handled? What is your philosophy for handing this matter? What gained or lost by going to court?
* How much will this cost? How will you bill me? Most lawyers bill hourly or on a contingency basis, which is usually 25-40 percent of the recovery.
* Who will work on my case? If it will be an associate, ask to speak with that lawyer and ask the same questions.
"How clear and straight forward is the lawyer? What's the chemistry like? Is he or she able to explain things to you in a clear way or is the lawyer being evasive? As your matter proceeds, your lawyer will have to explain to you what he or she is doing and why. If the lawyer can't explain things to you at the start, it's not going to get any better," says Bogus.
Don't jump to the conclusion that the lawyer that is the most optimistic is the one you should hire, says Bogus.
"Just as some real estate brokers will attempt to get the listing on your house by telling you that its market value is extremely high, some lawyers will attempt to win you over by telling you how strong your case is and how quickly they will get a result. You probably are not in the position to evaluate the lawyer's advice at this stage. You're trying to evaluate the lawyer, not get legal information."
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Editors & Reporters: Bogus can be reached at 401-254-4617 (office). Please call Steve Infanti of Dick Jones Communications at 814-867-1963 if we can be of any assistance. We assist Roger Williams University with its public affairs work.
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