Super Lawyers is an advertising and promotional publication by a Minnesota-based operation that publishes a "magazine" and does magazine inserts around the country. These types of promotional resources have existed in the law profession as long as I've been an attorney, Martindale-Hubbell which is owned by Lexis-Nexis, Inc. (which also owns, Law.com)--was the publication you wanted to be listed in when I was a "mere youth." The Bad Lawyer is "A-V" rated, cool, huh? Frankly, it's more important to be listed in the phone book, even better to be on your prospective client's "speed dial."
Of all these sorts of promo publications, Super Lawyers is the biggest bunch of BULLSHIT I'm familiar with in my business. If this is something you're into, you get a bunch of your friends to nominate you and voila, you are a "super lawyer." When I first saw this publication--I don't know, maybe ten years ago?--I was curious. Within a couple of months, a young lawyer that I got a first job for and who I knew to be inexperienced, not a litigator, and just acquiring skills was on the cover of this publication. My reaction, was complete cynicism. Oh, there is one other element, how, ethically, can lawyers promote themselves as "super lawyers," when the disciplinary rules prohibit self-aggrandizing statements in advertisements? Then again how do lawyers get away with the garbage that passes for theri Yellow Page listings and television commercials? Let's face it I'm getting old and cranky.
Oh, the blonde super lawyer that I share the house with--is in actuality a super lawyer in real life (as well as a Super Lawyer), but not because of some BS-advertising scam. She acquired skills, education, and experience, the old fashioned way: (which is the same way you get to Carnegie Hall) practice, practice, practice.
For more on the controversy: http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2006/08/07/story2.html
Posts
