This week alone I have been invited to become:
- National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Lawyers
- Something great with the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys
- Charter Member of a some Women’s Litigation Group
- Best Lawyers in America – Virginia, Medical Malpractice
Does that mean you should hire me?
Absolutely not.
Some if not most of these invitations have nothing to do with my actual skill, acumen or abilities as a trial lawyer.
Many of them are for-profit groups that offer these titles and distinctions for a price, so attorneys like me can put them on our websites, and potential clients like you are hopefully impressed.
But let us not be totally fooled by marketing. Just as the car you just bought probably isn’t the greatest car in America, or the coffee you just sipped the actual Greatest Coffee in the World, you should dig deeper than fancy logos and letterhead when choosing an attorney.
In my line of work, our cases will often last years. I will get to know my clients families, visit their homes, learn about their lives and do my best to advise what the next best steps are.
It is like inviting someone in to be a member of your family for a year or more.
Do you make that decision based on club memberships? Or based on experience – gut – trust and faith.
Everyone does it differently but I caution anyone to make a decision simply based on titles, or banners on the website. 