how can i find out the qualifications and record of an attorney

by Jalyn Berge 10 min read

You'll usually use your state's bar association, but there are other bodies that can help with an attorney-credential search. The State Bar Website Lawyers are licensed state by state. Find your state's bar association online, and then enter the attorney's name in the search function. If he doesn't show up, he's not a licensed attorney.

Full Answer

How do I find out if a lawyer is licensed?

Lawyer Licensing. Lawyers are licensed by a state agency in each state. That agency can help you to find out if a person has a law license and is permitted to practice in a particular state. Select a state from the list below for the agency in your state. New Hampshire - Call the New Hampshire Bar Association (603-224-6942) to determine if a person is licensed to practice law and in good …

How do I find out if a lawyer has been disciplinary?

Attorneys must be licensed through the bar association of each individual state in which they practice. If the lawyer you are researching is practicing legally in your state, the state bar association can provide records regarding the status of her law license, history of professional disciplinary actions and current place of employment.

How do I find a lawyer in Colorado?

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How can I find out an attorney's win/loss record?

Lawyer Lookup By State. Verify an attorney's license and status. See which law school and the graduation dates appear in many states. Have the state bar refer a lawyer and browse directory of services. Look up a law firm instantly online with instant results. Disciplinary actions inquiries.

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Step 1

Inquire with state bar associations. Attorneys must be licensed through the bar association of each individual state in which they practice.

Step 2

Search court records. If you know the name of at least one party to a case in which an attorney was involved, you can find copies of those records through individual court. Many jurisdictions have made these records available electronically through their court websites at no cost.

Step 3

Talk to law school alumni associations. If you are trying to confirm the details of an attorney’s education and know where he attended law school, the school’s alumni association may be able to provide you with information on his academic history, extracurricular activities and graduation date.

Step 4

Ask court officials about state-specific resources. Because the structure of each state’s bar system is different, the Clerk of the Court or a bar association representative can help you find additional resources exclusive to your jurisdiction.

How to find a good lawyer?

Knowing an attorney is licensed doesn't guarantee she's good, or a good fit for you. If you want to find a lawyer who has the skills you need, as well as the credentials, ask around. Check with: 1 Friends or business owners who've used a lawyer in the right area of expertise. 2 A local law librarian. 3 Groups with an interest in the relevant area of law. Environmental groups may have lists of lawyers who handle development cases. A divorced men's support group might know the names of good divorce lawyers. 4 Lawyer referral services. Before using one, though, ask what their standards are for listing lawyers.

What happens if the bar association doesn't provide information about discipline?

If the bar association doesn't provide information about discipline, the state government may . The FindLaw website provides links to the right bodies in all 50 states, whether it's the state bar or a government department such as Colorado's Office of Attorney Regulation.

Where does Fraser Sherman live?

He lives in Durham NC with his awesome wife and two wonderful dogs. His website is frasersherman.com.

What are the rolls of attorneys?

The rolls of attorneys are divided into what are termed ‘Private’ ‘Public’, and ‘Abstract’ rolls. The ‘private’ rolls contain the names of admitted attorneys arranged in order of date of admission under the first letter of their surnames, the addresses of the attorneys are also given and the name of the examiner. ‘Public’ and ‘Abstract’ rolls are similar to each other and do not contain the full addresses. In addition a ‘Wales Roll’ lists attorneys practising in the Court of Sessions and Great Sessions in Chester or Wales who were also enrolled at Westminster.

What is an attorney in England?

In England and Wales an attorney was a lawyer who practised in the superior courts of common law. They dealt with the procedural steps of litigation but, unlike barristers, did not plead for their clients in court.

When was the Law Society established?

The Law Society has records of the Registrar of Attorneys and Solicitors, set up in 1843. These include lists of admissions from 1845 with additional lists of admissions from about 1790 for most courts and some Registers of Articles of Clerkship from about 1860.

What is the Exchequer of Pleas?

The Exchequer of Pleas was the common law side of the Court of Exchequer. Until 1832 only the officers of the court itself were permitted to practise as its attorneys. Surviving admission records do not start until this monopoly was broken.

What court did the Palatinate of Durham have?

From the medieval period the Palatinate of Durham had exercised its own common-law jurisdiction, and local justices effectively represented local arms of the Court of King’s Bench and Common Pleas. The following table lists records of the attorneys admitted to the court in the palatinate.

When did attorneys practice in the Palatinate of Chester?

The table shows records of attorneys practicing in the courts of the Palatinate of Chester up to 1830. After 1830 attorneys practising in the Courts of Sessions and the Great Sessions in Chester and Wales were allowed to enrol in the Central Courts.

When did the certificate of admission for law become mandatory?

From 1785 an annual certificate of admission was required before an attorney or solicitor could practise. Books of such certificates occur among court records. From 1790 the printed Law Lists were based on these certificate books.

Why are attorneys disciplined?

Attorneys could be disciplined for a variety reasons ranging from a failure to pay their annual bar dues to misappropriating client funds. Your potential attorney's disciplinary record should be your first stop when research her reputation.

Is a lawyer a good lawyer?

Just because your lawyer has a clean disciplinary history doesn't necessarily mean she is the best choice for your case. Beyond staying out of trouble, a good attorney needs to secure the best outcome for her clients. As much as possible, ask friends, family, or colleagues for lawyer recommendations based on people they trust or have worked with in the past.

How long does it take to become an honors attorney?

Entry-level attorneys: All Honors Program attorneys are required to pass a bar examination and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) within 14 months of entry on duty. Incoming hires not yet admitted to a bar may enter on duty under a special appointment authority for "law clerk/trainees" for a period not to exceed 14 months.

How to contact OARM?

Individuals with disabilities or special needs who need an accommodation may contact OARM at (202) 514-8900 or leave a message at (202) 514-3396 or contact us via email at [email protected] .

Where is the Antitrust Division?

The Antitrust Division often hires Honors Program attorneys for its three regional field offices (Chicago, San Francisco, New York) and Washington, D.C. Applicants may indicate their geographic preferences on the application if Antitrust is hiring for locations other than Washington, D.C.

Is ABA accredited law school required?

While this is a general policy, some hiring components may specifically require graduation from an ABA accredited law school.

Robert Daniel Kelly

Sometimes being nice is much more successful than being an anal orifice. The sphincter-type attorneys can really raise a stink, but they can constrict the flow of your case, too.#N#Attorneys do have a duty to communicate with their clients. It is a broad guideline, not a ticking time bomb requirement...

Hadi Edward Ramsey

If you want the case to proceed towards settlement quicker, you should take it upon yourself to provide the attorney with the requisite documents necessary and do not expect the attorney to call you the next day. Generally, attorneys appear for depositions, hearings, and trial which all consume an enormous amount of their time.

Frank Wei-Hong Chen

There isn't a clearinghouse or source for an attorney's track record of wins and losses. Personally, I don't think the past history is as important as your particular case.#N#Being aggressive in court is not as important as being prepared. In order to win...

Aaron Michael Cook

You are not likely to be able to find a chart or graph of an attorney's wins and losses record. You may be able to put something together through public records searches, or through legal research services like Westlaw and LexisNexis. However, you probably won't be able to easily access these sections of the services even from a public law library.

Jonathan Burton Blecher

Unfortunately, you won't be able to get accurate stats about those categories. You will have to rely on a face to face consultation with the attorney and pose those questions.#N#Most lawyers don't keep those sort of stats, but you should be able tell from...

Craig A. Epifanio

Mr. Cook's analysis is spot on. You need to speak with an attorney in person. Get a feel for them as well as asking them about their experience. As Mr. Cook said wins and losses can be very misleading. What might be a win to one client is a loss to another. It depends on how satisfied they are.

John Patrick Guidry II

It's a good idea to ak an attorney how much experience he/she has dealing with your specific issue. Every case is different, and some attorneys have more experience with your facts than others.

What is a lawyer for the day?

Lawyer for the Day programs. In some courts, there are programs where volunteer lawyers spend a day helping people with their cases. These are called Lawyer for the Day programs. Each Lawyer for the Day program gives different types of help. Check with the court where your case is to find out:

What is the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers?

The Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers handles complaints about lawyers. The BBO has a section called “Rules and Decisions.” There you can see if there are any decisions against attorneys . You also look up lawyers in the Look Up an Attorney section to see if there has been any “Public Discipline” against them.

What is limited assistance representation?

Legal help for a part of a case: “Limited Assistance Representation” from a lawyer. Typically, lawyers represent clients for a whole case. However, there is a way to get legal help just for part of a case. This is called “Limited Assistance Representation” or “LAR.”. With LAR, you and a lawyer agree what parts of a case you will handle ...

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The State Bar Website

  • Lawyers are licensed state by state. Find your state's bar association online, and then enter the attorney's name in the search function. If he doesn't show up, he's not a licensed attorney. Some bar associations don't let you research lawyer licenses online. The American Bar Association, however, has a web page that links to whichever agency in a given state has the facts. For exam…
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Dig Deeper

  • Knowing your attorney has a current license is good, but it's only a start. There are more questions you should answer to be certain you have the right lawyer: 1. Do they have any disciplinary orders filed against them? 2. Do they carry malpractice insurance? 3. Are they experienced in the area you need help with? A patent attorney, for example, may not be the right person to defend you in …
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Other Resources

  • If the bar association doesn't provide information about discipline, the state government may. The FindLaw website provides links to the right bodies in all 50 states, whether it's the state bar or a government department such as Colorado's Office of Attorney Regulation. The Nolo legal website offers a directory of attorneys by legal specialty. The site says every lawyer listed is licensed an…
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Personal Recommendations

  • Knowing an attorney is licensed doesn't guarantee she's good, or a good fit for you. If you want to find a lawyer who has the skills you need, as well as the credentials, ask around. Check with: 1. Friends or business owners who've used a lawyer in the right area of expertise. 2. A local law librarian. 3. Groups with an interest in the relevant area of law. Environmental groups may have li…
See more on careertrend.com

Why Use This Guide?

  • This guide provides advice on how to find historical records of lawyers, primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries. If you are interested in where, when and with which court a particular lawyer practiced, or you want to find some biographical background on a lawyer, the advice in this guide will point you in the right direction. The National Archives is the best place to look for historical r…
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Types of Lawyers

  • In England and Wales an attorney was a lawyer who practised in the superior courts of . They dealt with the procedural steps of litigation but, unlike barristers, did not plead for their clients in court. Solicitors performed a similar procedural role in . Solicitors and attorneys both represented private parties involved in litigation. In 1873 all solicitors and attorneys became Solicitors of the …
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Types of Records

  • Until 1838 solicitors and attorneys had to be admitted to each of the courts in which they wished to practise. Each court kept its own records of admissions. From 1838 attorneys were unable to practice in a court other than the one in which they were enrolled unless they first signed a roll of the court concerned. At The National Archives we hold the records of attorneys and solicitors ad…
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

How to Search

  • It is best to start with the printed Law Lists, a directory of lawyers published annually between 1775 and 1976, bearing in mind the following caveats: 1. lists between 1775 and 1789 are known to contain names of persons never actually admitted to a court 2. until 1861 lists do not give the date of admission 3. for each year from 1790 lists only give the names of those attorneys and s…
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Court of King’s Bench

  • For attorneys admitted to the Court of King’s Bench the admission papers between 1838 and 1875 including articles of clerkship have not survived (for specimens of these records, see section 17on other sources). The following records do exist:
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Court of Exchequer: Exchequer of Pleas

  • The Exchequer of Pleas was the common law side of the Court of Exchequer. Until 1832 only the officers of the court itself were permitted to practise as its attorneys. Surviving admission records do not start until this monopoly was broken. Records for attorneys admitted to the Exchequer of Pleas are normally in series E 4 and you should consult the series list for E 4first of all. However …
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Court of Chancery/Supreme Court of Judicature

  • With the formation of the Supreme Court of Judicature in 1875, under whose umbrella the King’s Bench, Common Pleas, Exchequer of Pleas and Chancery now gathered, the Petty Bag Office series of solicitors rolls became the main admission record for solicitors (the title of attorney was abolished).
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Palatinate of Lancaster

  • In the 14th century the Palatinate of Lancaster was granted the right to hold pleas of the Crown locally, effectively allowing a regional branch of the Court of Common Pleas. The following table lists records of the attorneys admitted to the court. From 1843 the Solicitors Act (6 and 7 Vic., c73 s45) allowed attorneys and solicitors working in the Courts of the Duchy or Palatinate of Lancas…
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Palatinate of Durham

  • From the medieval period the Palatinate of Durham had exercised its own common-law jurisdiction, and local justices effectively represented local arms of the Court of King’s Bench and Common Pleas. The following table lists records of the attorneys admitted to the court in the palatinate. From 1843 the Solicitors Act (6 and 7 Vic., c73 s45) allowed attorneys and solicitors …
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk

Palatinate of Chester

  • The table shows records of attorneys practicing in the courts of the Palatinate of Chester up to 1830. After 1830 attorneys practising in the Courts of Sessions and the Great Sessions in Chester and Wales were allowed to enrol in the Central Courts.
See more on nationalarchives.gov.uk