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A Consumer's Guide to Peer and Client Review Ratings

Selecting the right lawyer for your specific legal needs can seem like a daunting task and endeavor. When you're deciding which law firm to hire, real-world results matter most and that is where Martindale-Hubbell Client and Peer Reviews are here to help. Client and Peer Reviews allow you to properly choose the right lawyer using honest feedback from people like you and the attorney's professional colleagues. As the leader in verified and reputable attorney evaluations for more than a century, you can trust our websites to provide the important information you need to hire the best legal professional.

Client Reviews

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If you're planning a vacation and selecting a hotel, a friend who stayed there before you is a great resource. Before you go to a restaurant for the first time, you'll want a friend to recommend the best dessert. Today you're considering hiring a lawyer or law firm; what better information can you have than the feedback of those who have previously interacted with the lawyer or law firm? Martindale-Hubbell Client Review Ratings give you insight into past experiences with lawyers and law firms.

Individuals who have either hired or consulted the lawyer or law firm complete reviews where they rate that lawyer or firm on a 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) scale in four categories: Communication Ability, Responsiveness, Quality of Service and Value for Money. Reviewers also answer whether they would recommend the services of the attorney or firm.

Client Reviews FAQs

  • How do I review a lawyer or law firm that I hired?
    The profile page for each lawyer and law firm listed on Lawyers.com and Martindale.com includes a link to submit a client review. Prior clients of lawyers and law firms can click the link to fill out the survey. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to fill out. Client reviews should not be filled out until your case or transaction with a lawyer is completed so that your review covers your full experience with a lawyer or law firm.
    What does the client review score mean?
    The top of the client review section shows the percentage of reviewers who have recommended the attorney or firm, the average score of all reviews, and a breakdown of the scores in each category. Below this, you can see the details of each individual review including the date, the score and any written feedback.
    What is a Client Champion?

    In 2017, Martindale-Hubbell introduced a yearly client review rating award. Attorneys qualify as a Client Champion based on reviews they received during the previous two years. There are three levels of awards:

    • Platinum: At least 10 reviews, with an average score of 4.5 or higher
    • Gold: At least 6 reviews, with an average score of 4.2 or higher
    • Silver: At least 3 reviews, with an average score of 4.0 or higher
    • Client Reviewed: At least one client review
    Can lawyers hide reviews they don't like?

    Attorneys do not have the option of choosing which reviews display on their profile. Martindale-Hubbell, however, may remove reviews with inappropriate content in accordance with our policies.

    We also offer attorneys the option to suppress their peer reviews. However, when reviews are suppressed, our websites clearly state "This lawyer has chosen not to display the review(s) provided by their clients."

    What does it mean if a lawyer does not have client reviews?
    Attorneys are not required to have client reviews, and some may not have reviews due to how long they have practiced, or other reasons unrelated to their legal ability. Not having client reviews should not be held against a lawyer.
    Can a lawyer or law firm find out who submitted a review?

    Martindale-Hubbell's client review process is confidential. Client Reviewers provide their name and email address when submitting the form for administrative purposes, but the reviews are anonymous and this information does not display on our websites. Martindale-Hubbell does not disclose this information if requested by a lawyer or law firm*, however information provided in the review may allow the lawyer, law firm or other individual to determine who submitted the review. We recommend that reviewers do not include personal information or specific details about their case in their client review.

    *Although Martindale-Hubell endeavors to protect the confidentiality of the reviewer, in some instances, Martindale-Hubbell may be required to disclose your personal information, including as may be required by law.

    Can a lawyer pay to receive reviews?
    No. Client reviews are a complimentary service we offer to the legal community. The reviews a lawyer receives and any award earned from those reviews is based entirely on the reviews themselves, with no input from Martindale-Hubbell.
  • Additional Information

Methodology

  • Martindale-Hubbell publishes lawyer rating information it has gathered about lawyers and provides a forum for other third parties to share information about any particular lawyer(s) on our websites, martindale.com® and Lawyers.comSM. Martindale-Hubbell facilitates secure online client review surveys of lawyers and law firms across multiple jurisdictions and geographic locations. Reviewers are asked to assess the lawyer or law firm in four categories (Communication Ability, Responsiveness, Quality of Service and Value for Money) in a specific area of practice based on their experience with the lawyer or law firm. The Martindale-Hubbell® Client Reviews appear in the online listings on martindale.com®, Lawyers.comSM, on the Martindale-Hubbell services, and on Martindale-Hubbell mobile apps.

  • Client Review Practice Areas and Requirements

    Martindale-Hubbell uses a specific practice area list in the review process to help ensure that all lawyers and law firms are reviewed using equivalent practice areas, regardless of how individual lawyers or law firms choose to articulate their area of expertise. This allows users of client reviews to compare and contrast lawyers and law firms with a specific area of practice. The Martindale-Hubbell area of practice list is based on user behavior, research on emerging areas of law, and other forms of legal research. Martindale-Hubbell updates the list regularly to reflect the changing needs of the legal industry.

    For Martindale-Hubbell to facilitate client reviews, a lawyer must provide the name of the college and law school they graduated from, as well as the year/state of first admission to the bar, which is also a requirement for having a profile on www.martindale.com.

  • Submitting Client Reviews

    Martindale-Hubbell subscribers may nominate clients to submit reviews through the Client Service Center (csc.lawyers.com). An attorney may submit as many or as few references as they choose to initiate client reviews.

    All Martindale-Hubbell client review materials are treated as anonymous. Martindale-Hubbell takes steps to protect anonymity (e.g., not associating reviewer names with their responses and aggregating reviewer responses with responses from other reviewers before sharing or publishing them), however it is possible that reviews may contain sufficient information which would allow the rated lawyer or law firm to ascertain the identity of the reviewer.

  • Reviewer Feedback

    Martindale-Hubbell client reviews allow reviewers to provide feedback from the reviewer's personal experience related to the lawyer or law firm under review. Lawyers are allowed to place a one-time comment next to any of the feedback. In addition, Martindale-Hubbell subscribers are able to highlight two client feedback comments of their choice and position them at the top of their peer review display.

    Client review feedback/comments are published for all attorneys and law firms who are listed in the Martindale-Hubbell database. Each lawyer/law firm must decide for itself how it wishes to use any Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review RatingsTM information. As stated in the Use Guidelines, each lawyer/law firm is wholly responsible for ensuring that any use it makes of Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review RatingsTM or ratings data, is compliant with the ethics rules affecting that lawyer/law firm.

    Prior results described by a client do not guarantee a similar outcome in the future. Martindale-Hubbell accepts no responsibility for the content or accuracy of any comments or responses displayed by Martindale-Hubbell. Martindale-Hubbell may use comments/responses in accordance with the Terms and Conditions, but is not required to do so. Martindale-Hubbell reserves the right, in its sole, unrestricted discretion not to publish or otherwise use any submission it receives.

  • Cooperative Service

    No subscription or listing on martindale.com or Lawyers.com is ever solicited or accepted on the promise of publication of particular Martindale-Hubbell® Client Reviews. No preferential consideration is ever given to any lawyer or law firm. There is never any payment made by Martindale-Hubbell to individuals who participate in client reviews.

    If a firm/lawyer chooses not to display their client reviews, all numeric ratings and feedback will be removed from display and language will appear that states "This Lawyer has chosen not to display the review(s) provided by his or her clients." All removal requests must be received in writing at ratings@martindale.com or by contacting our Customer Support department at 800-526-4902. While there is no guarantee on exact timing, client review displays will generally be removed from online listings on martindale.com®, Lawyers.comSM, on the Martindale-Hubbell services, and on Martindale-Hubbell mobile apps promptly after a request is received.

Peer Reviews

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Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings allow attorneys to complete anonymous peer reviews where they rate fellow lawyers on a 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) scale in five categories: Legal Knowledge, Analytical Capabilities, Judgment, Communication Ability and Legal Experience. Attorneys also answer whether or not they believe the lawyer they are reviewing has very high ethical standards.

Peer Reviews FAQs

  • How do lawyers get peer reviews?
    Martindale-Hubbell facilitates secure online peer review surveys of lawyers. Reviewers are asked to assess their colleagues' general ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice. An attorney may submit as many or a few references as they choose for a peer review rating process to be initiated. To ensure a credible process, Martindale-Hubbell will include reviewers in the same geographic area with similar listed areas of practice along with the submitted peer references.
    What do AV Preeminent, Distinguished and Notable mean?

    As attorneys receive peer reviews, they can qualify for one of three prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings:

    • AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies that a large number of the lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
    • Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
    • Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
    Can lawyers hide reviews they don't like?

    Attorneys do not have the option of choosing which reviews display on their profile. Martindale-Hubbell, however, may remove reviews with inappropriate content in accordance with our policies.

    We also offer attorneys the option to suppress their peer reviews. However, when reviews are suppressed, our websites clearly display "This lawyer has chosen not to display the review(s) provided by their peers."

    What does it mean if a lawyer does not have peer reviews?
    Attorneys are not required to have peer reviews, and some may not have reviews due to how long they have practiced, they practice in an area that does not have many peers, or other reasons unrelated to their ethical standards or legal ability. Not having peer reviews should not be considered a negative against a lawyer.
    Can a lawyer pay to receive reviews or a higher rating?
    No. Peer reviews are a complimentary service we offer to attorneys. The reviews a lawyer receives and any award earned from those reviews is based entirely on the reviews themselves, with no input from Martindale-Hubbell.
  • Additional Information

Methodology

  • Martindale-Hubbell facilitates secure online peer review surveys of lawyers across multiple jurisdictions and geographic locations. Reviewers are asked to assess their colleagues' general ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice. A confidential threshold number of qualified responses is required to achieve a Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingTM. The Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM appear in all formats of the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, in the online listings on martindale.com®, Lawyers.comSM, on the Martindale-Hubbell services, and on Martindale-Hubbell mobile apps.

  • Peer Review Practice Areas

    Martindale-Hubbell uses a specific practice area list in the review process to help ensure that all lawyers are reviewed using equivalent practice areas, regardless of how individual lawyers choose to articulate their area of expertise. This allows users of peer reviews to compare and contrast lawyers with a specific area of practice. The Martindale-Hubbell area of practice list is based on user behavior, research on emerging areas of law, and other forms of legal research. Martindale-Hubbell updates the list regularly to reflect the changing needs of the legal industry.

    For Martindale-Hubbell to facilitate a peer review, a lawyer must provide his or her college, law school and year/state of first admission as part of having a profile on www.martindale.com. To take advantage of the online review process, a lawyer must provide a valid email address. To be reviewed themselves, lawyers must also be willing to participate in the process of reviewing other members of the bar.

  • References and Reviewers

    An attorney may submit as many or a few references as they choose for a peer review rating process to be initiated. To ensure a credible process, Martindale-Hubbell will include reviewers in the same geographic area with similar listed areas of practice along with the submitted peer references.

    All Martindale-Hubbell peer review materials are treated as anonymous. Martindale-Hubbell takes steps to protect anonymity (e.g., not associating reviewer names with their responses and aggregating their responses with responses from other reviewers before sharing or publishing them), but it is possible that responses may contain sufficient information to allow the rated lawyer to ascertain the identity of the reviewer.

    Although Martindale-Hubbell peer reviews are anonymous and reviewers' identities are not published, in an effort to provide more details to the users of Martindale-Hubbell peer reviews, Martindale-Hubbell will aggregate reviewers' basic demographics, including general position and general geographic location. Demographics are collected as part of the review for informational purposes to the lawyer. Examples of basic demographics are "private practice lawyer, senior partner, New York, USA."

  • Reviewer Feedback

    Martindale-Hubbell peer reviews allow reviewers to provide feedback on the lawyer under review. Feedback is displayed anonymously in conjunction with the review results. Lawyers are allowed to place a one-time comment next to any of the feedback. Martindale-Hubbell subscribers are able to highlight two peer feedback comments and position them at the top of their peer review display.

    Peer review feedback/comments are published for all attorneys who are listed in the Martindale-Hubbell database. Martindale-Hubbell publishes lawyer rating information it has gathered about lawyers and provides a forum for other third parties to share information about any particular lawyer(s) on our websites, martindale.com® and Lawyers.comSM. Each lawyer/law firm must decide for itself how it wishes to use any Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM information and, as stated in the Use Guidelines, each lawyer/law firm is wholly responsible for ensuring that any use it makes of Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM or of ratings data is compliant with the ethics rules affecting that lawyer/law firm.

    Prior results described by a peer do not guarantee a similar outcome in the future. Martindale-Hubbell accepts no responsibility for the content or accuracy of any comments or responses displayed by Martindale-Hubbell. Martindale-Hubbell may use comments/responses in accordance with the Terms and Conditions, but is not required to do so. Martindale-Hubbell reserves the right, in its sole, unrestricted discretion, not to publish or otherwise use any submission it receives.

  • Cooperative Service

    No subscription or listing on martindale.com or Lawyers.com is ever solicited or accepted on the promise of publication of a particular Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingTM. No preferential consideration is ever given to any lawyer or law firm. There is never any payment made to lawyers and judges who participate in peer reviews. The process is a cooperative service with the bar and the judiciary.

    If a firm/lawyer chooses not to display their peer reviews, all numeric ratings and feedback will be removed from display and language will appear that states "This Lawyer has chosen not to display the review(s) provided by his or her peers." All removal requests must be received in writing at [email protected] or by contacting our Customer Support department at 800-526-4902. While there is no guarantee on timing, peer review displays generally will be removed from Lawyers.com and martindale.com promptly after we receive the request.

    If a firm/lawyer chooses not to display their peer reviews, all numeric ratings and feedback will be removed from display and language will appear that states "This Lawyer has chosen not to display the review(s) provided by his or her peers." All removal requests must be received in writing or by contacting our Customer Support department at 800-526-4902. While there is no guarantee on timing, peer review displays generally will be removed from Lawyers.com and martindale.com promptly after we receive the request.

    Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM for any disbarred or suspended lawyers are automatically removed as soon as Martindale-Hubbell is notified by a state bar. Other types of lawyer disciplinary actions administered by the appropriate bar or judicial authorities may also be grounds to remove a rating. While bar-admitting authorities supply Martindale-Hubbell with disciplinary information, Martindale-Hubbell also reserves the right to investigate information from the bar or the judiciary regarding rated lawyers that may impact the ethical standards of a rated lawyer.

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