Lawyer Referral Services
Referrals for Indigent Clients
For a referral to the nearest Legal Aid or Legal Services(free)
call (212) 431-7200.
The Brooklyn Bar Association
Volunteer Lawyers Project
Vox 718 624 3894
Volunteer attorneys can be provided in cases involving basic rights.
Referrals for Paying Clients
These referral services are run by the local and state bar associations. They
generally prescreen attorneys for experience/ competence in the referred area
of law, and require the attorneys to whom clients are referred to offer a discounted
$25 consultation fee for the first half hour. There are no guarantees that attorneys
from these services are any better than a lawyer picked at random from the phone
book, but there are generally advantages to using these services including:
*The bar is a source of information regarding attorney discipline, being referred by the bar informs the attorney that you are familiar with the bar as a resource. (This also applys when using the Rent Wars list).
*The bar has a vested interest in building good will towards its referral program and will not look kindly toward an attorney ruining said good will and can remove him or her from this source of new clientele.
*The attorney has to hold him or herself out to the bar as being competent in the area referred.
The Brooklyn Bar Association
Lawyer Referral Service
718·624·0675
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Legal Referral Service
212-626-7373
212-626-7374 (Spanish)
When all else fails- try the phone book and other advertising.
Generally, a lawyer's own advertisement expresses his or her desire and commitment
to practice in an area of law. You should view the advertisement in the same
way an employer reviews a resume- keep in mind that some people exagerrate and
lie. Since the attorney pays for advertising, there is some investment on his
or her part. However, there are cases where an attorney advertised for an area
of law, knew nothing about the area of law, ended up leaving that area of law,
and ruined their clients cases in that area in the process (this is called legal
malpractice). When hiring an attorney who may be new to an area of law, try
to make sure that he or she is mature enough to let you know if and when they
are unable to properly service your case. Unfortunately, this is easier said
than done.