How to Select a Denver Lawyer

In selecting a Denver lawyer, great care and deliberation are essential. Most lawyers in Denver are extremely well-qualified in the areas to which they devote their practice. Lawyers have been well-trained by law schools, their law firms, and the individual lawyers with whom they have had associations. Most State Bar Associations require not only the successful completion of law school, but they also require the passing of special bar exams to be certain that lawyers understand both the basic precepts of the law, which apply to various fields of law, and also the appropriate ethical considerations. The State Bar Associations and the local Bar Associations assist in the policing of its' members to make certain that lawyers comply with ethical considerations, comply with certain rules and regulations, and correctly apply the practice of law.
In many localities, lawyers are permitted to advertise in the yellow pages for an area of specialization. Often the area of specialization is regulated by the Bar Association. The Association requires that lawyers maintain a skill level, which mandates the annual completion of additional study in the area of expertise under which each lawyer is listed. For example, if a lawyer lists his area of expertise to be Corporation Law, then that lawyer must, in certain states, maintain continuing legal education for a set number of hours each year in that area of law. This is often true of other areas of specialization such as Trials/Litigation, Administrative Law, Domestic Law, Criminal Law, Bankruptcy Law, etc. In some instances, a special test is required for proficiency in a particular area of law such as Intellectual Properties, including patents, copyrights and trademarks. Often other areas are internally protected by the government agency that administers a particular area of law. An example would be Securities Law, wherein government agencies regulating securities will require lawyers to meet certain standards and objectives.

Some states and some localities have referral services that will at random refer an individual to a lawyer who has developed a certain area of expertise in a specific field, such as Domestic, Bankruptcy, Landlord/Tenant, etc. Additionally, there are certain services that will rank or rate lawyers, such as the ratings system we apply to lawyers listing on our site. However, caution should be used in viewing any ratings assigned to a Denver lawyer or Denver law firm within any publication since such ratings may be politically motivated. Some services look at the number of years a lawyer has practiced. Sometimes special ratings are given to lawyers who are members of large firms. Therefore, if a lawyer is not rated as highly by some of these various services, it does not necessarily mean that the lawyer is not extremely skilled or well qualified for that particular purpose. There are several ranking systems out there for lawyers including ones on the Internet for those computer savvy.

The primary considerations in selecting a Denver lawyer should be whether the client feels comfortable with the lawyer selected and if he is confident that the lawyer is competent in his field of expertise. Much depends upon an individuals judgment, and many times a Denver lawyer is hired on the basis of referrals from other individuals who have for one reason or another experienced a lawyer/client relationship as a result of work performed. The client must feel very comfortable and confident that the lawyer selected is the one who can capably handle the client's needs. When it comes to someone representing you in court, trust is a big issue when selecting a lawyer in Denver.