Website rates quality of lawyers

Avvo.com is a website that rates lawyers and tries to offer relevant information and "better guidance" than other ranking websites, according to co-founder Mark Britton. Avvo uses a mathematical algorithm that takes into account such factors as professional achievement and past disciplinary sanctions, as well as information gleaned from public records and firm Web sites, to rate lawyers a score between 1 and 10. Lawyers are rated and assigned labels ranging from "Superb" to "Extreme Caution," based on awards, publications, professional membership, even peer endorsements. Profiles of disbarred, inactive, even deceased lawyers going as far back as Abraham Lincoln (including a portrait and his authorship of the Emancipation Proclamation). The search function allows users to search lawyers by name, location, or legal practice area, and has a forum for questions and discussion.