Full Answer
It’s official: Lawyer awards (at least some of them) are scams By Jenna Greene 5 minute read The Federal Trade Commission building is seen in Washington. REUTERS/Gary Cameron
No. 2: Don’t be tempted to shortcut your efforts by signing up for one of the many unreputable lawyer awards and rankings services. It’s been well documented that hundreds of lawyer awards and rankings services have sprouted up like weeds in recent years.
But for every respectable award or ranking, there are dozens more that are strictly pay-to-play scams. A law firm website design company, FirmWise, keeps a running tab of them on this Google spreadsheet.
Scammers seem to be getting more sophisticated, invoking the names of reputable people and organizations to gain credibility. Some title their awards to sound strikingly similar to a reputable legal publication. Others will hijack the names of well-known lawyers in a particular field in an attempt to prove legitimacy.
You’re considering between two lawyers – one was honored by the American Institute of Family Law Distinction, the other was named a State Top 50 by the Academy of Domestic Relations Excellence. Tough choice? Not at all – I just made up both names, but they are typical of lawyer vanity award scams.
Vanity award websites prey upon the public’s ignorance, and confuse them with similar-sounding genuine awards. And then they find lawyers willing to play along.
Want to get in on the action and set up your own ego award company? Fool the public by creating your own vanity award in 5 easy steps.
Because so many people who scorn these phony ego scams are themselves fellow attorneys or reputable marketers who are not scammers, it’s hardly a surprise there has been much written about them. Here are a few of my favorites:
Lawyers are especially susceptible to the ego industry, possibly because attorneys are usually addicted to prestige. It is extremely difficult for attorneys to distinguish themselves in the legal marketplace. Sure, lawyers can discuss their educational background and experience, but these accomplishments alone may not convince a prospective client ...
Jordan Rothman is the Managing Attorney of The Rothman Law Firm , a New Jersey and New York litigation boutique. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at jrothman@rothmanlawyer.com.
Sure, lawyers can discuss their educational background and experience, but these accomplishments alone may not convince a prospective client to sign with a particular attorney. In order to get a leg up in the marketplace, many lawyers apply for a variety of attorney awards and submit information to be listed in attorney rankings.
Some states even require that attorneys place disclaimers on advertisements which convey an attorney’s selection for particular awards and rankings . Nevertheless, a number of chintzy awards and rankings abound in the legal profession. Sponsored.