Lawyer Sues Lawyer Rating Service Over Bad Scores

from the let-the-world-know dept

Mon, Jun 11th 2007 6:10pm — Joseph Weisenthal

One of the problems with the legal industry is that it's opaque. Sure, the big corporate law firms do have established reputations and brands, but individuals in need of a lawyer don't have good ways of finding one. Last week, a new site called Avvo was launched that promised to compile ratings and reviews on lawyers nationwide. The launch got a lot of buzz, in part because of the novelty of the idea, but also because the ratings system, by most accounts, didn't work. Several top-caliber lawyers, including sitting Supreme Court judges, weren't given particularly good ratings. Not surprisingly, one lawyer that didn't like his rating is already threatening to sue the site. There's no telling how the courts will respond, but since the site is just synthesizing data from other sources, there wouldn't seem to be anything blatantly illegal going on. Legal issues notwithstanding, it's baffling why the lawyer would want to file this suit and bring more attention to his low rating.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

16 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

lucas rivet, 11 Jun 2007 @ 7:13pm

dumb people
someone PLEASE tell me how they did not see this coming?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Jon, 11 Jun 2007 @ 8:10pm
  
  Re: dumb people
  I think we need some award for dumb people that would be analogous to the Darwin Award. Between the stories that are captured here on TD and some of the posters, we would have a lifetime of material.
  
  Btw, this idea is trademarked, copywrited, and Service Marked. I will sue anyone who has more motivation to make something out of my idea than me. Given that I am feeling particularly lazy, reading this idea might just get you in trouble.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Bob Nicholson, 15 Jun 2007 @ 3:21pm
  
  Re: dumb people
  There is nothing to prevent people from filing a lawsuit, but in the United States there is a strong body of law that protects these "rating and review" sites. Review sites act as public forums, and are legally protected from liability for the content by section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA).
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2007 @ 10:01pm

Judges?
The United States Supreme Court does not have Judges, its members are JUSTICES. Judges are in the Courts of Appeal and District Courts.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Adam, 11 Jun 2007 @ 11:14pm

I wonder if his rating will go up if he wins.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I am a Lawyer, 12 Jun 2007 @ 9:21am

This is the first thing I though of
The first thing I thought of upon reading about Avvo a day or two ago was that they would get sued. Lawyers around the country would repeatedly sue, think of new theories to sue under, and eventually drive it out of business. Nice concept, but too easily abused. You don't like your ex-wife's lawyer because he nailed you for alimony? Trash him. It sounds like there is no accountability and not even an opportunity to respond, as with Ebay ratings. Don't like the lawyer that your client jumped to? Trash him. If there is no opportunity to respond to each individual rating by each former client, then I would say that the website is advocating their views, which could be libel, possibly.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Matt Bennett, 12 Jun 2007 @ 10:26am

Everything goes to hell when the lawyers get a hold of it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anti Jack, 12 Jun 2007 @ 3:49pm

Surprising...
I type in Jack Thompson's name and state and retrieve no results, is it possible he's so low rated the site didn't put him up?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Martin Hunt, 17 Jun 2007 @ 5:35pm

If the review is can be proven as the honest opinion of the client, and there is no defamation going on, then the user has no worries...but did anyone stop to think that someone on the internet might actually be defaming someone? *gasp* No one lies on the internet.

Lawyers thrive on their reputation, and a bad one will hurt you among clients and your home state bar.

If this attorney was defamed, then I say good for him to defend himself. If not, then the person that posted the review or the site has no worries.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sofakingcool, 27 Jun 2007 @ 3:59pm

Lawyers
It's hard to make everyday people understand that Lawyers are bound by a different law than the ordinary citizen. Lawyers make the law ...... use it to perpetuate their profession. They are like cockroaches ...... living off hard working people. I feel safer in a back alley in the rough part of town than around a bunch of lawyers.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- lady D, 4 Sep 2008 @ 3:10pm
  
  Re: Lawyers
  LOL....after years of being in agony untreated for ruptured discs, pinched nerves, broken/crushed discs in my spine and losing everything that I worked hard to get for twenty years, I am victimized by my own lawyer who protects his own. I was hit by an insurance lawyer driving her insurance lawyer boyfriend's car (both work for separate firms in town) and for 7 long years I have been unable to obtain loss of income, any kind of medical benefits, left to rot in my house as it falls apart with four teenagers running amuck and getting in trouble, going days unable to obtain water as I could not even crawl. The Dr.s tell me get a lawyer. The lawyers tell me get a lawyer, and if I could get up and do either, I would have. I go months unable to hold a pen and only have brief moments in time, where I am able to force myself to get up, go to a dr. go to a lawyer, or even get that glass of water. 80% of time, I live in my bed. I was 38 when this happened and now at 45, I AM beING forced to accept an amount of money equivalent only to some of the loans that I have taken to pay for chiro, bills-utility, and still can't cover them all....after working hard for twenty ++ years....sometimes up to one full time and two part time jobs in order to provide my children with extras like trips in our trailer (now sold to pay taxes.) WHAT? What? I can not do this. Rumors are being spread and I can not even defend myself. I can not get up on my feet until I receive medical treatment, and I can not get money from insurance until someone represents me and follows instructions. I asked my lawyer 4 years ago to contact almost 20 people who had worked with me and knew me in volunteer situations, etc.....I just found out he didn't while he and 3 lawyers, a mediator (lawyer) and 3 adjustors attacked me for an entire day, while I popped triple the pain medication that I normally take in 24 hours in order to be able to sit through it and had my own lawyer attacking me in private and forcing me to sign something that I was in no capacity to deal with.....the lawyer has taken more than half and still hurls insults and attacks me personallyl.....he even said to me at one appointment, "My wife gets the odd headache." The pain I am in is unacceptable. I have 7 crushed discs in my neck with many pinched nerves, a hernaited disc mid spine, and crushed discs, a missing disc, pinched nerves and herniateion in the lower spine.....lots of paralysis (temporarily up to 6 months at a time in areas) and have no one to help me due to the defamation of character and lack of any kind of professional care....DO NOT GET HIT BY A SPEEDING BLOND INSURANCE LAWYER WHILE SHE DOES OVER 100 IN CITY LIMITS AND YOU ARE STOPPED FOR LENGTHY TIME IN A FULL LANE OF TRAFFIC AT A RED LIGHT ((NEXT LANE EMPTY-THEREFORE SHE COULD HAVE SWEREVED AND MISSED EVERYONE)) BROKE WINDSHILED WITH FACE, FIRE DEPT BROKE DOOR TO GET ME OUT, SEAT BROKE IN CAR.....AND AT HOSPITAL ONE XRAY ON NECK AND SENT HOME.!!!! SHE GOT THERE FIRST AS i HAD TO WAIT FOR FIRE DEPT TO GET ME OUT....WHAT? IS THERE ANYONE WITH MORALS OUT THERE ANY MORE? NO ONE WILL HELP ME BECAUSE IT IS SO ABSURD????? HELP PLEASE....I DONT WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS....I WAS INTELLIGENT, PRETTY , WELL KEPT, DILIGENT, LOYAL, MORAL, HARD WORKING, STRONG....I HAD INTEGRITY....I COACHED BALL FOR KIDS, TAUGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND HELPED PEOPLE WHENEVER I COULD....NOW I HAVE A BUNCH OF RUMORS SWIMMING IN THIS UGLY FISH BOWL, SHARKS, AND POISON.....I NEED A REAL LAWYER WHO BELIEVES IN INTEGRITY AND THE VALUES UPON WHICH AMERCIA WAS BUILT....I NEED HELP....I HAVE LOST ALMOST EVERYTHING ALREADY....ANYONE OUT THERE????
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
AC, 27 Jun 2007 @ 4:38pm

if you really need to know
check with your states grievance commission. for example,

http://www.agcmi.com/pages/AGCInvestigations.html

you can find out formally investigated complaints that have been sent to discipline boards. many will not tell you about complaints that have been dismissed, which is pretty fair.

and while this isnt a way to fine tune your choice for a lawyer, it can certainly be a step in weeding out some of the ones with bigger problems.

but as with most things in life, there are no guarantees.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
chris, 29 Aug 2007 @ 4:39pm

Funny. So does this lawyer not support free speech?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Neil Sandhu, 20 Sep 2007 @ 2:05pm

Lawyer Ratings
Interesting story. While we think there are better ratings systems out there, we believe in the free flow of information and wish them success in the courts.

Neil Sandhu
CEO, HireTrade LLC
http://www.hiretrade.com
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
B, 1 Jan 2009 @ 1:00pm

Finding lawyer in Pensacola FL
We are on our second lawyer in Pensacola, FL and looking for lawyer no.3. They stop reponding to you when they have your case and retainer. It seems impossible to find a good honest lawyer. Any suggestions
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
jones555, 26 May 2009 @ 10:00pm

Real Estate
Hi,

Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions, notably in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is fixed in location.Real estate is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property.

=======================================
jones555
visit
find lawyer
[ link to this | view in chronology ]