SPIVALAW
11-26-2008, 11:16 PM
Did you know Lawyers are confidentially evaluated and rated by Judges and other lawyers?
Before you hire a lawyer or if a lawyer is on the other side of a case, you can look up their rating...
Ratings are based on:
~General Ethical Standards; and
~ Legal Ability
Is the lawyer rated? If yes, do they have:
~CV®,
~BV®,
~AV®
**********************************************
Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™
The Martindale-Hubbell Ratings help buyers of legal services identify, evaluate and select the most appropriate lawyer for a specific task at hand.
Lawyer Ratings serve as an objective indicator that a lawyer has the highest ethical standards and professional ability to justify their hiring decisions.
The process of the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings service
The Ratings service, is based on the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary, including both those who are rated and those who are not.
Martindale-Hubbell representatives conduct personal interviews to discuss lawyers under review with other members of the Bar. A compilation of these opinions from various sources is necessary to form a consensus.
In addition, surveys are sent to lawyers and judges in the same geographic location, area of practice or industry as the lawyer being rated.
Members of the Bar are instructed to confidentially assess their colleague's legal ability and general ethical standards.
Ratings are reviewed in stages over the course of a lawyer's career. The first review - to establish a rating - usually occurs five years after first admission to the Bar. Ratings are reviewed every five to eight years thereafter - or earlier if Martindale-Hubbell receives information indicating that a lawyer's ethics or abilities are under question.
Disbarred or suspended lawyers automatically have their Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings removed. In addition, please be advised that other types of attorney disciplinary actions administered by the appropriate bar or judicial authorities may also be grounds to remove a rating. While Bar admitting authorities continuously supply Martindale-Hubbell with disciplinary information.
Completely Confidential
All Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings review materials are strictly confidential, enabling participants to provide completely candid assessments of their colleagues. Under no circumstances are any Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings review materials released.
Buyers of legal services, as well as those making referrals, consider Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings invaluable when evaluating a lawyer.
Using ratings, they can select counsel with superior ethics, as well as the desired level of professional experience.
Martindale-Hubbell Ratings attest to a lawyer's legal ability and professional ethics, and reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary.
They appear in all formats of the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, in the online listings on martindale.com, on the LexisNexis® services, on CD-ROM, and in print.
An objective way to assess a lawyer
A Martindale-Hubbell ratings allow individuals and business to make faster, smarter decisions.
A rating's third party validation of ethics and legal ability provides that extra level of confidence that the right lawyer or firm has been selected.
By combining a rating with a review of other data in a lawyer's Professional Biography - such as practice areas, bar memberships, professional affiliations, education and clients - a person can be certain he or she has made the right choice for that particular legal matter.
An Explanation of the Martindale-Hubbell Ratings Categories
There are two components to Martindale-Hubbell Ratings:
1. General Ethical Standards Rating
The General Ethical Standards Rating denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.
The General Recommendation Rating is:
V - Very High
A lawyer must receive a General Ethical Standards Rating before his or her review can proceed to the next step.
2. Legal Ability Ratings
Legal Ability Ratings take into consideration the standard of professional ability in the area where the lawyer practices, the lawyer's expertise, and other professional qualifications. If a lawyer's practice is limited or specialized, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings are based on performance in those specific fields of law.
Legal Ability Ratings are:
C - Good to High
B - High to Very High
A - Very High to Preeminent
When both categories of Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings are confirmed, a lawyer receives an CV®, BV® or AV® Rating.
If a lawyer moves to a different state, his or her rating will appear in Martindale-Hubbell with the state abbreviation indicating that it was established in another state or province.
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings reflect career development
A lawyer's rating will generally improve over time. But Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings can be revised downward, or even removed if a decline is noted in ability or ethical standards.
CV® Peer Review Rating — The CV® certification mark is a good first rating for lawyers and a definitive statement of their above-average ability and unquestionable ethics. This is the maximum rating a lawyer can receive who has been admitted to the bar from 3-4 years.
BV® Peer Review Rating — The BV® certification mark is an excellent rating for a lawyer with more experience. This is the maximum rating a lawyer can receive who has been admitted to the bar from 5-9 years.
AV® Peer Review Rating — An AV® certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. A lawyer must be admitted to the bar for 10 years or more to receive an AV® rating.
To learn more read: www.martindale.com/xp/legal/About_Martindale/Products_and_Services/Peer_Review_Ratings/ratings.xml
By Howard Spiva
Howard@spivalaw.com (email)
www.Spivalaw.com (web page)
(912) 920-2000
The Spiva Law Group is dedicated solely to the representation of individuals who are injured and their families.
Before you hire a lawyer or if a lawyer is on the other side of a case, you can look up their rating...
Ratings are based on:
~General Ethical Standards; and
~ Legal Ability
Is the lawyer rated? If yes, do they have:
~CV®,
~BV®,
~AV®
**********************************************
Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™
The Martindale-Hubbell Ratings help buyers of legal services identify, evaluate and select the most appropriate lawyer for a specific task at hand.
Lawyer Ratings serve as an objective indicator that a lawyer has the highest ethical standards and professional ability to justify their hiring decisions.
The process of the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings service
The Ratings service, is based on the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary, including both those who are rated and those who are not.
Martindale-Hubbell representatives conduct personal interviews to discuss lawyers under review with other members of the Bar. A compilation of these opinions from various sources is necessary to form a consensus.
In addition, surveys are sent to lawyers and judges in the same geographic location, area of practice or industry as the lawyer being rated.
Members of the Bar are instructed to confidentially assess their colleague's legal ability and general ethical standards.
Ratings are reviewed in stages over the course of a lawyer's career. The first review - to establish a rating - usually occurs five years after first admission to the Bar. Ratings are reviewed every five to eight years thereafter - or earlier if Martindale-Hubbell receives information indicating that a lawyer's ethics or abilities are under question.
Disbarred or suspended lawyers automatically have their Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings removed. In addition, please be advised that other types of attorney disciplinary actions administered by the appropriate bar or judicial authorities may also be grounds to remove a rating. While Bar admitting authorities continuously supply Martindale-Hubbell with disciplinary information.
Completely Confidential
All Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings review materials are strictly confidential, enabling participants to provide completely candid assessments of their colleagues. Under no circumstances are any Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings review materials released.
Buyers of legal services, as well as those making referrals, consider Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings invaluable when evaluating a lawyer.
Using ratings, they can select counsel with superior ethics, as well as the desired level of professional experience.
Martindale-Hubbell Ratings attest to a lawyer's legal ability and professional ethics, and reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary.
They appear in all formats of the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, in the online listings on martindale.com, on the LexisNexis® services, on CD-ROM, and in print.
An objective way to assess a lawyer
A Martindale-Hubbell ratings allow individuals and business to make faster, smarter decisions.
A rating's third party validation of ethics and legal ability provides that extra level of confidence that the right lawyer or firm has been selected.
By combining a rating with a review of other data in a lawyer's Professional Biography - such as practice areas, bar memberships, professional affiliations, education and clients - a person can be certain he or she has made the right choice for that particular legal matter.
An Explanation of the Martindale-Hubbell Ratings Categories
There are two components to Martindale-Hubbell Ratings:
1. General Ethical Standards Rating
The General Ethical Standards Rating denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.
The General Recommendation Rating is:
V - Very High
A lawyer must receive a General Ethical Standards Rating before his or her review can proceed to the next step.
2. Legal Ability Ratings
Legal Ability Ratings take into consideration the standard of professional ability in the area where the lawyer practices, the lawyer's expertise, and other professional qualifications. If a lawyer's practice is limited or specialized, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings are based on performance in those specific fields of law.
Legal Ability Ratings are:
C - Good to High
B - High to Very High
A - Very High to Preeminent
When both categories of Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings are confirmed, a lawyer receives an CV®, BV® or AV® Rating.
If a lawyer moves to a different state, his or her rating will appear in Martindale-Hubbell with the state abbreviation indicating that it was established in another state or province.
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings reflect career development
A lawyer's rating will generally improve over time. But Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings can be revised downward, or even removed if a decline is noted in ability or ethical standards.
CV® Peer Review Rating — The CV® certification mark is a good first rating for lawyers and a definitive statement of their above-average ability and unquestionable ethics. This is the maximum rating a lawyer can receive who has been admitted to the bar from 3-4 years.
BV® Peer Review Rating — The BV® certification mark is an excellent rating for a lawyer with more experience. This is the maximum rating a lawyer can receive who has been admitted to the bar from 5-9 years.
AV® Peer Review Rating — An AV® certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. A lawyer must be admitted to the bar for 10 years or more to receive an AV® rating.
To learn more read: www.martindale.com/xp/legal/About_Martindale/Products_and_Services/Peer_Review_Ratings/ratings.xml
By Howard Spiva
Howard@spivalaw.com (email)
www.Spivalaw.com (web page)
(912) 920-2000
The Spiva Law Group is dedicated solely to the representation of individuals who are injured and their families.