Reputation management for lawyers and attorneys involves the monitoring and management of reviews logged on lawyer-specific review sites as well as on general review sites, as well as other online media. That monitoring is informed by timely reporting and direct responses to both positive and negative reviews. Negative reviews are resolved whenever possible. Authentic positive reviews are collected from satisfied clients and posted, to promote a positive reputation and bury any negative reviews as far past the first page of Google results as possible. Relevant content is published online and on social media to raise the profile of the attorney and the law firm.

Avvo contains reviews for the majority of lawyers in the United States. The rating scale runs from 1 to 10 and is calculated using information gathered from state bar associations, client reviews, and information submitted by the attorneys themselves. Lawyers.com welcomes more than 100K visitors each day, who can see ratings for 95% of the United States’ practicing attorneys. 35% of Martindale-Hubbell searches will lead to the hiring of a lawyer, and the platform includes client and peer reviews.

If you already have a lawyer in mind, a quick Google name search will likely result in attorney reviews and ratings. But if you’d like to search sites dedicated to lawyer reviews, visit Avvo, Lawyers.com, Martindale-Hubbell, Yelp, NOLO, and the Better Business Bureau. The reviews you find will be logged by clients, colleagues, bar associations, and other organizations…or a combination of any of these. Visits to a number of attorney review sites will offer a more comprehensive view of a lawyer’s reputation.

Lawyer rating sites do not include courtroom wins, appellate opinions, evidence of the quality of work, and other factors that may be critical to your specific facts and circumstances. In most cases, the State Bar is not consulted on ethics unless there has been a specific complaint and investigation or disciplinary action, and even then the information can be difficult to access. Most review sites are simply a list of references from past clients and colleagues. The ratings can be outdated, or the results of quid-pro-quo exchanges. The most reliable way to choose the best-rated lawyer is to ask if they’re a “legal specialist,” if they have lectured at bar association events and if they belong to specialized organizations in their specific area of practice, all in addition to consulting with online reviews and word of mouth referrals.

Attorney disciplinary actions, including suspensions and disbarment, can be uncovered with an Internet search. To find an attorney record online, look up your state’s disciplinary organization for attorneys. You can also Google the name of the lawyer, as well as the firm they practice with. Look up their state bar profile. You may also wish to visit sites like the Better Business Bureau, Avvo, NOLO, Yelp, Martindale-Hubbell, and Lawyers.com.

Lawyer reputation management is more important than ever because the online competition is intensifying. To prove this point, consider that 86% of people looking for a lawyer will turn to Google as their first course of action. Furthermore, 98% say they would consult with online lawyer reviews before hiring an attorney. That means attorneys will find themselves engaged in some competition for the first page of Google search results, as well as for the best online reputation. Lawyer reputation management will not only help attorneys gain visibility on Google’s first page, it will improve their online reputation, win new clients, and gain the trust and confidence of existing clients.