Tag Archives: Legal Consumer

Value-Fee Agreements – Issues for Legal Consumers and Attorneys to Consider

Posted on November 9, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

Patrick J. Lamb posted an article on the Legal Rebels’ section of the abajournal.com website on November 7, 2012 titled: Prepping a Value-Fee Engagement Letter? Consider These 13 Issues First. He is a founding member of Valorem Law Group, author of Alternative Fee Arrangements: Value … Continue reading →

Posted in Billing | Tagged Alternative Fee Agreements, American Bar Association, Attorneys, Legal Consumer, Retainer Agreement | Leave a comment

New Federal Agency CFPB to Oversee Debt Collectors — Including Lawyers and Law Firms

Posted on October 26, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

The Washington Post reported on October 23, 2012 that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a new federal “watchdog agency,” will be overseeing debt collection firms with receipts of more than $10 million, and that the collection firms overseen will include lawyers … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged CFPB, Collection agency, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Credit bureau, Legal Consumer, Legal Ethics, Legal Practices, Legal Reform, News | Leave a comment

Are State Bar Grievance Committees “Good Ol’ Boy Systems”?

Posted on October 19, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

Every practicing attorney in the U.S. is licensed by one or more state bar associations, and those licensing entities have grievance committees that address ethics complaints filed against attorneys they license. What many legal consumers may not know is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged Attorney Misconduct, Attorneys, Disciplinary Action, Disciplinary Complaint, HALT, Legal Consumer, Legal Ethics, News | Leave a comment

Legal Consumer Tip #4 – Think Like a Lawyer

Posted on September 28, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

One of the best ways to effectively communicate with your lawyer, and to make sure your lawyer is hearing you and working toward your goals, is to put yourself in your lawyer’s shoes. Understanding how s/he receives your communications — … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged American Bar Association, Attorneys, Bar Associations, Client-Side Manner, Clients, Ethics Opinions, Law Firm Culture, Law Schools, Lawyers, Legal Consumer, News | Leave a comment

Pressure to Settle: In Your Best Interest . . . or Your Lawyer’s?

Posted on September 7, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

Last week, a Colorado jury handed down a more than $2 million verdict against a Denver law firm for pressuring a client, in a contingency fee case, to settle for less than it was worth. In her lawsuit, the client portrayed the firm as … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged Attorneys, Clients, Conflict of Interest, Jury Verdict, Legal Consumer, Litigation, News, Settlement | 2 Comments

Scott Turow Weighs In: The Billable Hour Must Die

Posted on August 14, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

Notable author, Scott Turow, wrote the cover article for the August 2007 issue of the ABA Journal, titled The Billable Hour Must Die: It rewards inefficiency. It makes clients suspicious. And it may be unethical. Interestingly, The Billable Hour Must Die has … Continue reading →

Posted in Billing | Tagged American Bar Association, Attorneys, Books, Clients, Conflict of Interest, Legal Consumer, Legal Ethics | Leave a comment

Effecting Legal Practice Reform . . . Law Students First

Posted on August 10, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

Perhaps one way to effect legal practice reform is to address it with students before they become members of the legal community. Like the teaching of bed-side manner to medical students, law students may well be the most willing and … Continue reading →

Posted in Reform | Tagged American Bar Association, Client-Side Manner, Curricula, Law Schools, Law Students, Legal Consumer, Legal Practices, Legal Reform | Leave a comment

Legal Consumer Tip #2 – Justice is Not Always Just

Posted on August 3, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

Imagine a case in which person A sues person B, and the case is tried before a judge. The judge takes all of the evidence under consideration and objectively supports his/her ruling with accurate factual findings based on the evidence … Continue reading →

Posted in Tips | Tagged Attorneys, Clients, Credibility, Evidence, Judges, Justice, Lawyers, Legal Consumer, Legal Reform, Legal System, Litigation | Leave a comment

Caveat Emptor – Legal Buyer Beware

Posted on July 27, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

In December 2011, Debra Cassens Weiss posted an article on the ABA Journal website titled Suit by Fired Lawyer Claims Law Firm Encouraged Fraud with 3000-Hour Billable Quota. The article reported on a California lawyer’s employment bias law suit alleging he … Continue reading →

Posted in Billing | Tagged Attorney Misconduct, Attorneys, Billing Fraud, Caveat Emptor, Clients, Competence, False Billing, Fraudulent Billing, Lawyers, Legal Consumer, Legal Ethics, Over Billing | Leave a comment

It’s 2012, Do You Know If The Attorney You Are Choosing Has A Disciplinary History?

Posted on July 20, 2012 by The Legal Reformer

In the long-running saga of Lindsay Lohan’s legal troubles, every single misstep — each dirty drug test, every missed court appearance, even a profane message etched on her fingernail — was publicized, scrutinized and dissected in tabloids the world over. … Continue reading →

Posted in Vetting | Tagged Attorney Misconduct, Attorneys, Clients, Conflict of Interest, Disciplinary Action, Disciplinary Complaint, HALT, Lawyers, Legal Consumer, Legal Ethics, Legal Reform, News, Self-Regulation | Leave a comment