Choosing a lawyer

Need legal help? It's there, but do your homework first

By Hanah Cho | Sun reporter

June 29, 2008

Say you're having a dispute with a landlord over a lease. Or facing possible foreclosure proceedings amid the widening subprime mortgage crisis. Or being sued.

Whatever the situation, you might want to seek legal advice to make sure your rights are protected when it comes to civil matters in an increasingly complex society, but with more than 33,000 attorneys in Maryland alone, it can feel daunting.

Scouring the Internet or the Yellow Pages is not the only option. Several area bar associations offer referral services to help locate lawyers who specialize in certain litigation.

Legal experts say consumers should not be intimidated during the search process; you're hiring someone to work for you. So ask tough questions about how much experience the counselor has, any disciplinary actions they've faced and how much they charge before making a decision.

Taking the time to do some homework before hiring an attorney can save potential headaches down the road, lawyers say.

"There might be a number of lawyers perfectly capable of handling your matter in a very quality, exemplary fashion," said Ronald H. Abernethy, a public defender in Napa, Calif., who chairs the American Bar Association's lawyer referral and information services committee. "There is a bit of finding someone who you feel comfortable with."

Consider asking friends, relatives and colleagues for recommendations.

Like seeking any sort of specialized service, word of mouth is often a reliable way to find an attorney, says Katherine Kelly Howard, president of the Maryland State Bar Association. Contacting lawyer referral services operated by local bar associations is another option; many of Maryland's county groups operate one.

The referral is free. And many referral services provide a half-hour consultation with the recommended lawyer for a minimal fee, Howard says. After that, it's up to you and the lawyer to decide whether you would like to establish a formal relationship.

The Bar Association of Baltimore City has been operating its referral and information service for more than 20 years.

The service, which focuses on attorneys practicing in the city and Baltimore County, is also certified by the American Bar Association, which means it meets certain requirements such as making sure participating lawyers have malpractice insurance. Lawyers also must apply and be screened for various legal expertise before they are accepted on the referral panel, says Dennis McIver, director of public services at the Baltimore bar association.

In the past year, the service provided about 3,590 referrals for cases ranging from worker's compensation to personal injury to criminal matters.

In many cases, volunteer lawyers who take referral requests find that consumers don't need an attorney but information and some basic legal advice.

Once you've gotten several referrals, evaluate the lawyer as if you're conducting a job interview.

For starters, make sure they have the basic qualifications: They are licensed to practice law in the state and haven't been disciplined. The Maryland Judiciary through its Web site provides information on disciplined attorneys as well as those admitted to practice in the state.

Ask about their credentials. How long has the lawyer been in practice? Has the attorney recently handled cases similar to yours? And ask about a range of outcomes you could expect. "Knowledge is power," said Howard, of the Maryland State Bar Association

Be wary of promises that you'll win because there are many factors involved in how a case is settled, according to the MarylandPeople's Law Library, a legal information Web site maintained by the Maryland State Law Library.

Avery Strachan, a trial attorney with Silverman Thompson Slutkin and White in Baltimore, who co-chairs the lawyer referral committee at the Bar Association of Baltimore City, says consumers should also consider retaining an attorney who practices in the specific jurisdiction where the case will be handled.

"Every jurisdiction has its own way of doing things," she said.

Ask for references, though that request may be limiting because of client-attorney privilege.