An attorney directory is an online service which searches, identifies, and ranks lawyers in a local area. These specialized legal directories have been a staple in the commercial law industry for years and many lawyers around the country still use the site to advertise their viewpoint law firms. For those who have been in business for a while, they will know the value of marketing and using the Internet to increase awareness of the business and of their particular expertise. Those who are new to the industry should take advantage of this medium and begin building a legal base which will attract clients.

It is important to find a good standing listing of lawyers in your state so you can make a positive impression on your potential clients. Most states have their own directories of lawyers although some only rank lawyers and do not include the rank or location of the attorney. As with anything else, a lawyer’s ranking is determined by his success rate which is determined by the number of cases he has won and the size of the law firm. If an attorney has a lot of victories but a lot of losses, he will be ranked lower than he would if he had a better success ratio. This is the reason it is vital to check out the attorney’s ranking in every state before you make a decision on whom to retain.

The first step in finding a good attorney is to find a directory service that allows you to search their database for attorneys in your particular field. The directories allow you to search either by name or by location. Once you have located a few possible attorneys, the next step is to investigate them to see what you can learn about them by reviewing their court records, disciplinary action history and any other information which are available.

Another important factor that you should find out about the attorney directories maintained by these online resources is whether they maintain a list of the attorneys in their firm or not. Many directories maintain an incomplete or outdated list since most bar associations keep annual registries of all attorneys who have passed the bar exam. If the online resource you are using does not have this information, you may want to look for another one that does.

Unfortunately, even when an attorney maintains good standing with the bar, there could be instances when he has been disciplined or removed from the practice of law. Disciplining an attorney can include expelling him from the practice of law and can even result in a law license being revoked. An example of this would be when a lawyer violates rules regarding conflict of interest or when he is involved in a case in which he performs an action in which he is at-fault. Even if the lawyer retains a good standing with the bar, a disciplinary action can still occur.

In order to get additional information regarding the discipline or removal of an attorney, you should search for a directory which maintains a database that allows you to search for disciplinary actions, if any, by bar numbers. This database is important as it gives you a comprehensive overview of the attorney’s disciplinary history. You should also make sure that you are accessing the right source. As mentioned earlier, many directories do not have this data. In some instances, you can have to pay for the information you require but usually the results are worth the money.

Another thing that you should consider before you select a particular attorney directory service is whether or not they provide access to discipline records for all states. This means that you will be able to find out which attorneys are disbarred or have been disbarred, in your state. Many good standing directories do provide this service and you should take advantage of it. It is best to check the quality of the database before paying for this information so you don’t end up with a wrong resource.

You may also want to select an attorney directory that offers information about specific regions or areas where an attorney practices law. This will allow you to narrow down your search to specific states. If you know which states an attorney has practiced law in, you can use this to help determine whether they have good standing. Attorneys may even be required to register with the appropriate regulatory agency in their state and make all their filings with that regulatory agency.