Retaining an effective lawyer is really no different than any other type of shopping. Take your time. Do your research. Weigh your options. Ensure clear communication. Develop a comprehensive understanding concerning pricing and services to be delivered. This is your legal situation and your lawyer needs to thoroughly appreciate the importance, and expenses, of it. Read More

You are entitled to report your lawyer in the case of any ethics violations. You should report your lawyer to the Lawyer Disciplinary Counsel in your state. Provide the Counsel with a complete description of the events. In most cases, the information you share will remain confidential. Read More

Lawyers are governed by certain standards of professional responsibility towards clients. Your lawyer must follow these basic rules and professional ethics:

• Communicate with you on all matters relating to the case in a timely manner;

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When you trust a lawyer with your legal matters it can be unexpected and disappointing to discover that he or she has mishandled your case and negatively impacted your situation. How can you determine if malpractice has indeed taken place and if it is wise to move forward with a lawsuit against your lawyer? Read More

Trying to find a good attorney may sometimes feel like you are trying to navigate a minefield with a blindfold on. While there may be hundreds of lawyers listed in your local phone book, this is the last place you want to go to start your search. Read More

What distinguishes a well-respected attorney from ones that garners little respect? Attorney and columnist Joseph N. Hosteny believes good attorneys that fight fairly and stay out of the gutter earn his respect. Read More

Personality attributes and life skills make for a good lawyer, according to researchers at UC-Berkley. While good grades, test scores and brains will get a student in to law school and later help in finding a job as an attorney, other skills such as listening, reasoning and creativity will make for a good lawyer. Read More

Lawyers in Maryland who kill their spouse or have sex with minors are quickly disbarred. Unfortunately, that is not the outcome faced by those upholders of the law that steal, lie, cheat, abandon clients or even torture animals. Read More

Disbarment is not always a forever kind of thing where attorneys are concerned. In most states, lawyers are allowed to petition for reinstatement after a certain period of time. Some states like California are still struggling with the whole permanent disbarment issue. Read More

Legal malpractice claims were on the rise between 2004 and 2007, rising 36 percent. Experts believe that as the economy continues to worsen, the number of legal malpractice claims will rise even further. Read More

Nearly everyone has probably been caught up in telling a little white lie once in a while. Those faux pas are often overlooked, especially if they haven’t caused any harm to anyone. However, a little white lie is hard to overlook when it turns in to a whopper and potentially impacts someone’s life. Read More

Public defenders are assigned by the courts to assist individuals who do not have the financial means available to pay for an attorney. Guillermo Romero, a former public defender in Grant County, Washington, appeared to have overlooked the part about not asking for payment. Read More

Michel Gassaway, an Oklahoma attorney, was disbarred for several reasons. Not only did he forge the signature of a fellow attorney on a letter reportedly in his support when he found himself under investigation by the Oklahoma Bar Association, but also for trading legal services for sexual favors. Read More

Washington operates a fund in which all of the state’s 30,000 lawyers pay $15 each year. This fund is used for clients who suffer from a lawyer's dishonesty, which is normally not covered under an attorney’s malpractice insurance. Read More

Gregg Hickmann, a disbarred Toledo attorney was charged in March 2009 with grand theft. He is accused of stealing $71,000 from a former client involved in a divorce and child custody case. Read More

John D. Duncan holds the distinction of becoming the first attorney to be disbarred for life in the state of Maine. Disbarment for life, the most severe professional sanction, followed close on the heels of Duncan’s guilty plea to criminal theft charges. Read More

Attorney Steven J. Lever, a convicted sex offender, received a three-year suspension from practicing law in New York in December 2008. Read More