Where/how does one check an attorney

[straybrit]

I was browsing the interminable topics on legal cover/insurance the other day and noted that our fine host and moderator recommended that we check out any law firm or attorney before engaging them. Which strikes me as excellent advice. The only issue is - how would I go about it?

I'm a computer geek - so if I want information about a new computer or software package I know where to go and get opinions and reviews. At least enough to guide my decision. The same with cars and guns. But attorneys? I doubt there's a magazine/forum called Law Professional World or Kellys Blue Lawyer Book (OK - I haven't looked - but I"m pretty sure ).

Are there publicly available records detailing successful defence cases? More to the point - are they aggregated and searchable? Oh - and free or low cost.

Note that I'm not trying to resurrect the "which insurance should I get" threads, I know that's my decision, but I'd really like to have more data before I start making that decision.

[Keith B]

Not all lawyers are rated here, but you can try http://www.lawyerratingz.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[straybrit]

Thanks for that Keith. Unfortunately there's nothing there on firearms related cases. Interestingly the attorneys in [pre-paid legal] aren't on there either.

I'm starting to think this might be like finding a new doctor - they bury their mistakes, attorneys let the state lock them up. Same result

[Keith B]

You probably won't find one showing firearms related cases anyway as there are not very many. If it is firearms related it will usually pertain to illegal use of a firearm or illegal possession.

Best bet is find one close to you and call them to discuss their knowledge of gun and use of force laws in Texas and if you like their answers see what it takes to get them on a retainer.

[Keith B]

Possibly, you could ask the police department in your area what attorney they use for officer related shootings?

Most municipalities will be using their city attorney for any cases. A better quesiton to the PD is which Criminal Defense attorney do they like the least? That will usually be the one that get's the bad guys off scott free the most.

I know there was one crimianl defense attorney in the town where i was a LEO that had no morals or scruples. But, he was the guy I was going to if I was ever in deep trouble criminally.

[Salty1]

"Most municipalities will be using their city attorney for any cases." this is true, I would ask who the Patrolmans Union would use as outside council, this may give you an idea on where to start looking.

[alvins]

sean cody does gun trusts and such here in houston. maybe he can help?

[steveincowtown]

I know there was one crimianl defense attorney in the town where i was a LEO that had no morals or scruples. But, he was the guy I was going to if I was ever in deep trouble criminally.

Keith I must say I highly doubt there is a town that only has ONE defense attorney with no morals or scruples.

That being said I have always held that the best attorneys are those that were formally on the other side of the issue that they are defending against. For example, I would pick a Criminal Defense attorney who was previously a Prosecutor over just about any else. They know what they are up against and I think that there is a reduce exposure to unexpected situations.

[tommyg]

Martindale lists and grades lawyer by peer review this is an excellent source
of info when checking out a Lawyer. the AV rated lawyers are the best.
They are also listed by specialties
example :Bill Booth in Dallas is the Best Criminal lawyer Martindale rated AV
He is rated by Texas Monthly as a super lawyer and refered to as the best lawer in Texas

http://www.martindale.com

[straybrit]

Found another information source

lawguru.com

Turned up one possibility in Austin - Granger & Mueller.

Something tells me this could be an extended operation :-)

Thanks for all the input so far
Derek

[Charles L. Cotton]

Martindale lists and grades lawyer by peer review this is an excellent source
of info when checking out a Lawyer. the AV rated lawyers are the best.
They are also listed by specialties
example :Bill Booth in Dallas is the Best Criminal lawyer Martindale rated AV
He is rated by Texas Monthly as a super lawyer and refered to as the best lawer in Texas

http://www.martindale.com

There are a crop of new websites claiming to rate attorneys, but as tommyg said, Martinedale is the premiere rating organization. It has been around a very long time and it actually gets its ratings by sending confidential questionnaires to attorneys who have handled cases against attorneys they are evaluating. Most of the others are popularity contests.

You can't overestimate the importance of referrals from people who have used an attorney.

Chas.

[KMK]

I am new to CHL Forum. I was looking for a quality CHL Class and ran across your post. I will admit that I am an attorney. To answer your question there is no single source you can go to check on the QUALITY of an attorney. Some exceptional attorneys are not AV Rated on Martindale Hubbell and some low quality ones are. There is no one location you can check to see what cases a lawyer has handled. Each County has its own set of records regarding cases.

What I tell most people is get a referral from a former Client. Then visit with the attorney. You should have an immediate trust with that person. If you do not have a comfortable feeling after meeting with them, move on and find another referral and repeat the process. The one thing the attorney should be able to do is tell you how they will handle the case, what the pitfalls are, what the good things about the case are and how the process will work. A good attorney will tell you the fee is dependent on the number of hours the case will take and that it is next to impossible to predict how many hours it will take. But they should be able to give you a rough idea. Bottom line a good attorney will take the time to educate you on your case so you can assist the attorney. In my practice I always educate my Clients, sometimes they do not want me to but it is amazing that when I know as much as possible about them, their business, etc and vice versa that I usually discover some fact that significantly helps the case where if I just took their money and treated them like a customer I would never have discovered that golden nugget. In other words, you want an attorney who deals with Clients as relationships not customers.

Talking to police departments probably will not do you any good. Most smaller departments have insurance to cover shooting cases. Therefore the insurance company picks the attorney. Larger departments like Houston, Dallas, etc. may have an attorney on staff who will have a great deal of experience but they will usually not take a non-officer cases.

Bottom line, if you put as much time in selecting your attorney as you do purchasing guns you will be okay.

[Keith B]

I am new to CHL Forum. I was looking for a quality CHL Class and ran across your post. I will admit that I am an attorney.....

Welcome to the forum KMK. We won't hold being an attorney against you since our forum Admin is guilty of that crime also.

Seriously, we always welcome those professionals that are willing to weigh in at times when they can offer their expertise. We have a couple of other attorneys, as well as active and former LEO's (guilty of the latter myself) and numerous CHL instructors here on the forum. And, many of our senior members are better versed at CHL laws and guidelines as the majority of lawyers, legislators or LEO's.

I believe you are in Houston, so my recommendation would be to see if our Admin Charles Cotton Attorney at Law is teaching a class soon. He would be a great match-up for you and you couldn't get a better instructor that knows about CHL.

Please join us as often as you can and we look forward to your interactions!

[RSJ]

If you are in the DFW area, PM me I can recommend a great attorney with reasonable rates.
If not, I have access to all of the Hubble, lexis, westlaw stuff if you want a specific person looked up.