In life, everyone has different wants and needs. Some people prefer a lawyer that went to an Ivy League college and/or law school. Other people prefer to hire lawyers from local school. Most people, in my experiences, really don’t focus on the school but more on the lawyer’s service.
Some people want a lawyer that only handles personal injury law as their personal injury lawyer. While another person may prefer a lawyer that handles multiple area of law. Certainly, if that client had a good experience with the lawyer during a divorce case, they would have the trust needed to hire that lawyer for another matter, like a personal injury case, for example.
In my case, I graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (specialization in Finance) and my law degree is from the University of Miami School of Law. I think it is important to hire a lawyer that understand the personal injury law and has at least some focus on this area of law, as opposed to someone who is “trying the area of law out.” As my focus is on service to the client, I believe that is a very important factor in deciding on the lawyer that you choose. Clearly, the most important issue in hiring a lawyer is finding someone that you relate to and have a trusting relationship with. That is part of why I like to spend more time with my clients – so that I can build a lasting relationship based on trust.
The Florida Bar requires that the client sign a “Statement of Client’s Rights” when signing a contingency fee contract in a personal injury case. The third right, which is applicable to this question and some of the discussion above states:
Before hiring a lawyer, you, the client, have the right to know about the lawyer’s education, training and experience. If you ask, the lawyer should tell you specifically about his or her actual experience dealing with cases similar to yours. If you ask, the lawyer should provide information about special training or knowledge and give you this information in writing if you request it.
I think the above right is helpful to client’s seeking to hire an injury attorney.
