This will be interesting.
Avvo management has started a blog, so I’ll add this to the Monday coffee cup [ what’s that? ] and try to keep up with what’s going on there.
Current comments deal with the launch, so let’s take a peek (comments are NOT in order):
“You have a first rate team and have created a site easy to use and easy to understand! Best Wishes to this needed service.”
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“Another reason that Avvo’s “beta” moniker makes sense is that our search technology and processes continue to collect information on roughly 3500 new attorneys every day. So, with each day that Avvo is up and running, our entire system continues to gain breadth and depth.
…
And finally, even though Avvo is the product of input from hundreds of lawyers, thousands of consumers and some of the best legal minds in the business, we would still like input from you.”
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“Ar(e)n’t you in one sense endorsing the person with the higher ranking. This is troubling to me. There are some very good attorneys whom you have ranked fairly low merely because of a disciplinary actions, there are others whom I wouldn’t pay to represent my worst enemy who are ranked fairly high How is it you are coming up with these numbers?”
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“As someone who has launched 2 companies in the last 6 months, I know how hard finding the right legal representation is. Even a little bit of guidance in this area now (and more later as your community develops) will be immensely helpful and appreciated.”
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“I have a serious problem with the fact that you claim you can claim one’s own profile for free, yet require people to use a credit card. I realize you need to verify their identity in some way, but I personally don’t feel comfortable providing said info to a company which has already admitted it will sell some personal information to third parties.”
Well, there’s a diversity of opinion out there, but the launch has been completed and now the hard work begins!
Additional Reviews
There are going to be a tremendous number of reviews out there, but I found these today and each takes a slightly different approach, but several are also members of the Law.com blog Network (owned/hosted by ALM, a large legal publisher).
- Carolyn Elefant : Avvo Launches With Mixed Ratings for Its Lawyer Ratings
- Paul Luvera : Rating Trial Lawyers – A Hit and Miss Process at Best
- Declan McCullagh : Lawyer ratings site not without objections
- Practice Management Blog : Avvo Launches: Go Get ‘Em Guys
- Robert J. Ambrogi : More Reaction to Avvo’s Lawyer Ratings (contains another listing of reference articles)
- Robert J. Ambrogi : Bravo for Avvo? Not so Quick
And so, indeed, it begins!
Mullen on Law 2.0+ 