What Martindale-Hubbell AV Ratings Mean In The Legal Profession
Martindale-Hubbell, the largest and most comprehensive source of lawyer ratings in the world, awarded John B. Dougherty the highest possible rating which is an “AV Preeminent” rating. The “A” portion indicates the highest possible rating for legal ability, while the “V” portion indicates adherence to the highest standard of professional conduct. The ratings are based on confidential evaluations submitted by lawyers and judges throughout Colorado. AV Preeminent® is a significant rating accomplishment-a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.
John has been given an “AV” rating by his peers which mean that he is deemed to have a very high standard of professional ethics and preeminent legal ability. Only lawyers with the highest ethical standards and professional ability receive a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating of “AV”.
The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings evaluate lawyers in the United States and Canada based on the anonymous opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary, including both those who are rated and those who are not. LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell conducts secure online Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings surveys of lawyers across multiple jurisdictions and geographic locations, in similar areas of practice as the lawyer being rated. Reviewers are instructed to assess their colleagues’ general ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice.
The confidentiality, objectivity and complete independence of the ratings process are what have made the program a unique and credible evaluation tool for members of the legal profession. The legal community values the accuracy of lawyer peer review ratings because they are determined by their peers – the people who are best suited to assess the legal ability and professional ethics of their colleagues.
“Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings were created in 1887 as an objective tool that would attest to a lawyer’s ability and professional ethics, based on the confidential opinions of other lawyers and judges who have worked with the lawyers they are evaluating,” said Mike Walsh, President and CEO, US Legal Markets at LexisNexis. “The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings have remained the most prestigious and widely respected lawyer rating system in the world for over a hundred years.“ Most firms and attorneys never receive a rating. Martindale itself states that not every attorney is selected for consideration. A rating of any level is an outstanding career accomplishment. While no exact number is known, it is reported by one source that fewer than 5% of attorneys nationwide receive the highest rating, “AV”, with sub category of “AV Preeminent” being the highest honor of all.
In this highly competitive environment for legal services, the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating is often one of the only means to differentiate lawyers who are otherwise comparable in their credentials.
Indeed, a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating can be one of the most important criteria that lawyers and clients use to evaluate a lawyer. When referring matters to colleagues with specific expertise or looking for counsel in another jurisdiction, lawyers want to have confidence in the individual lawyer under consideration. By reviewing the ratings, they can be guided to a lawyer with very high ethics as well as an appropriate level of professional experience.
John is proud to have achieved the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating based on his high standards of legal ability and professional ethics.
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