In Lawyers We Trust - how Americans choose a lawyer - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

American Demographics, May 1, 2001

Lawyers get a bad rep, but overcoming that reputation could prove to be good for business. When choosing a lawyer, nearly 3 out of 4 Americans say that trustworthiness is the most important criterion, while 53 percent put the greatest emphasis on their attorney's years of professional experience, according to a recent Yankelovich Partners survey.

Forty-two percent choose a lawyer based on his price tag and just 20 percent pay attention to the name of the law school on the diploma. Among women, the trust factor is even more crucial: 79 percent of women say that trust is the most important quality in choosing one's counsel compared with 69 percent of men who feel the same. It's interesting that they seem so picky, considering that Americans spend more time researching where to purchase their furniture (33 hours) or car (85 hours) than hiring a legal eagle (19 hours).