Being a lawyer is one of the most competitive jobs you can enter into. Even though there’s so much schooling involved, as well as time, hard work, and not to mention exams, many people choose the career path. People who become lawyers usually have exceptional people skills, can problem solve effectively, think critically, and like speaking in front of an audience. Lawyers are hard working people and that hard work doesn’t really ever stop. Even when lawyers have a solid client base and a good reputation, they’re always trying to better themselves for their existing clients and build a positive reputation in the field. One way they do this is by joining a group called Lawyers of Distinction
If you’ve recently noticed a plaque or even a crystal statue that reads “Lawyer of Distinction”, they’re part of the very competitive and exclusive group. What it really means is that they were nominated by a peer or by filling out an online application. Some factors that are considered in the selection process include:
- Experience
- Honors/awards
- Case results
- Verdicts/settlements
- Special certifications
- Representative clients
- Professional activities
- Educational background
- Pro Bono and community service
- Scholarly lectures/writings
- Other outstanding achievements
After taking a look at these factors, the selection committee pushes the candidates through an ethics review and background check, making sure that they don’t have any ethics violations within the past 10 years on their record. Attorneys who meet all of LOD’s standards are then accepted into the community. The best part is that only the top 10% of attorneys in any given state are granted acceptance into the LOD community. This means if your lawyer was accepted, he or she is part of the top 10% of those applicants in the state.
Aside from the plaque or crystal statue that you noticed on your lawyer’s desk, they’re given a few other benefits of being accepted and admitted into LOD. You may also notice that your lawyer uses the logo and other trademarked material directly from Lawyers of Distinction for marketing tactics. Only those lawyers who were accepted into the group are granted access to this exclusive material in order to display their accomplishment.
You can also find your lawyer in LOD’s membership directory. They should have their own detailed profile describing what their specialty is, where they’re located, and contact information. If you pay close attention to LOD’s press release, you’ll even see their name released in a National press release when they’re first admitted.
Becoming a part of the Lawyers of Distinction is truly an honor and you should feel confident that your case is in good hands. If you’re not a client however, and you noticed the plaque, statue, or trademarked logos that your peer or even competition was using, then it may be time to apply for admittance to LOD. As you can see, the benefits you’ll receive from becoming a member of the group don’t only help your career, but they impress the clients you’ve already managed to obtain. If gathering a client base if your weakness, LOD can help with that too. Members are given SEO optimized profiles so that when a lawyer in your area searches for a lawyer your LOD profile will be near the top of the results. This is a very expensive strategy that many large firms use, but comes free with membership of LOD. The member directory gets over 500 hits a day, making your odds of a new client finding you higher than ever before.
Continuing to grow in your field is a great way to stay relevant and to keep a great reputation within the field. Plus, how impressive are those plaques and statues?
