How to assess a client recommendation about legal ethics and lawyers' professional responsibility

A useful recommendation describes the service received and the client's own experience. In legal ethics and lawyers' professional responsibility, look for a specific account of communication, preparation and clarity. Praise such as “excellent” or “the best” conveys an opinion, but provides less information than an explanation of what the lawyer actually did.

A dispute with a lawyer may involve communication, trust funds, fees and the handling of the matter. A recommendation about a similar issue may help you prepare questions for a consultation. It cannot establish that the facts, evidence or procedural position of your matter are the same, or that a previous result will be repeated.

Check the source and date where they are available. Distinguish a client submission from marketing copy or an illustrative example. A review checked by the office is still published on an office-controlled website; a link to an external source allows you to read that source separately.

A client may choose initials or another display name to protect privacy. The office can privately check contact details and publication consent without displaying a case number, financial information, medical records or the names of other parties. A review does not need sensitive details to describe a meaningful experience.

Use recommendations alongside a discussion of the engagement agreement, correspondence, representation records and decisions, fees, availability and the proposed scope of work. On this website, new submissions enter a private review process. Only recommendations whose source and publication consent have been checked are published; no rating is supplied on behalf of a client.