Since its first attorney ratings in 1887, the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings is still the gold standard in attorney ratings.  The rating score is based on a scale of 1-5.  A peer rating between 4.5-5.0 is a significant rating accomplishment — the highest possible, a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers (i.e., other lawyers and judges) rank him or her “HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE” for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers.

To better understand the comprehensiveness and importance of these reviews, we have listed a few facts about the Martindale-Hubbell rating system.  The highest rating category (AV Preeminent) is a rating between 4.5-5.0.  The Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating is preserved for no more than 5% of attorneys nationwide.  An attorney’s rating is based on 5 key areas: Legal knowledge, analytic capabilities, judgment, communication ability, and legal experience; Reviews submitted are confidential and cannot be paid for, bought or influenced.  When attorneys need the assistance of another attorney outside his or her practice area, either for themselves or for their clients, Martindale-Hubbell is most often where they look to find them.  As a result, Martindale-Hubbell is often referred to as the Yellow Pages for lawyers.