AVVO launches controversial lawyer bidding service

The website AVVO.com, famous for its lawyer-rating system, has launched a new service that allows prospective clients with traffic tickets to receive "bids" for representation from nearby lawyers. Shortly after the program debuted in mid-December 2012, the ISBA's criminal law e-discussion group lit up with comments that the system degrades the practice of law and creates ethical pitfalls for the lawyers who use it. But AVVO.com founder and CEO Mark Britton defended the new service as merely taking the next technological step forward in making connections between attorneys and potential clients. Find out more in the February Illinois Bar Journal.

Posted on Jan 31, 2013 by Mark Mathewson | Comments (2)
Filed under

Topic:

Member Comments

I agree with the criminal law e-discussion group and find the practice of publicly bidding for clients repulsive.

— Mary Cascino on January 31, 2013 at 2:45 pm

This is a terrible "service" AVVO has launched and it should be rightly ignored by attorney's who subscribe. I require my clients to provide me with way more information than AVVO.com does before I quote my fee. I ask my clients to get a court purposes driving abstract before I quote them a fee even on simple traffic matters. I'm supposed to quote a fee based on what someone tells me is the whole truth and without the ability to ask pertinent questions that might affect the outcome? Not a chance. I sent AVVO an email about how awful I thought this "service" was, but never got a response. The crim law group is dead on. Just wait until someone wins one of these bids on what seems like a simple traffic ticket, only to find out the person has multiple convictions and there are other charges pending that the individual failed to mention. AVVO's CEO needs to get real and end this nonsense. It isn't a next step forward, it's a hugely risky step in the wrong direction that cheapens the practice of law and potentially exposes hungry lawyers to bid on cases blindly. Besides, anyone who goes to AVVO can easily contact any number of local lawyers to get fee quotes. How does this silly feature help anyone? I almost cancelled my AVVO membership, but instead wrote them an email and simply unsubscribed from being included in bids.

— Jeffrey Fagan on January 31, 2013 at 3:03 pm

ISBA Members login to post comments.