How would you advise someone to judge whether or not a lawyer is a good lawyer? Judging by the guides I find on many lawyers' websites, you might tell people to look for a lawyer who I responsive and communicative. Maybe one with at least X years in practice. An. AV-rated lawyer? A lawyer with a 10 on Avvo? A Super Lawyer? A lawyer who has published a law review article or who teaches CLE to other lawyers?
Of course, none of those things necessarily have anything to do with whether a particular lawyer actually does good work. A responsive lawyer may draft contracts full of loopholes. A Super Lawyer is equally likely to be nominated for being well-known as for being any good.
So what are the valid indicators of quality in a lawyer, and how would you tell someone who is not a lawyer what to look for?
Of course, none of those things necessarily have anything to do with whether a particular lawyer actually does good work. A responsive lawyer may draft contracts full of loopholes. A Super Lawyer is equally likely to be nominated for being well-known as for being any good.
So what are the valid indicators of quality in a lawyer, and how would you tell someone who is not a lawyer what to look for?