The self-serving "advice" followed a section that told the reader that "a lawyer who specializes in taxation isn't going to be much help to you." A lawyer who limits his or her practice likely will not take your case, but otherwise, this is meaningless nonsense. One of the best divorce lawyers I know also has a thriving practice in personal injury litigation. Another spends time also doing employment law. Multiple areas of practice do come with experience, and are helpful when that "seamless web" that is the law bleeds into other issues.

The article did also state that the selected lawyer should have a "lot of experience" but (perhaps because some of its advertisers don't) "if fresh out of law school, make sure he has an experienced mentor". Other unhelpful criteria posited were to make sure the lawyer "is a skilled negotiator", is "firm", is "reasonable", and is "totally candid".

How is a consumer to know, based on a cold interview with an unknown lawyer, whether the lawyer is a "skilled negotiator" or "has an experienced mentor" (who actually oversees his work?) or is being candid (other than that the lawyer says he is)? He can't know. Not this way.

What do executives in larger companies do when they need to hire a lawyer? Do they just ask someone from the sales or accounting department to call around? Do they pick out prospective interviewees from ads in a magazine that makes its money from advertising? Usually, no. These sophisticated consumers go first to their own well-known trusted corporate counsel. That's right -- they actually have a lawyer, one who is experienced in hiring and assessing the performance of other lawyers (and their bills) to do it.

The principle is not much different from an individual's asking his long-time family physician or dentist who he would suggest -- or use himself -- as a medical or dental specialist. In fact, even recommendations from other clients or patients who have used a particular professional, albeit this method can have its drawbacks, still is a better way to gather information about prospective professionals than an interview prompted by magazine or website advertising. (This isn't mentioned, of course, in the filler article of the magazine that makes its money from advertising).

Don't mistake a one-trick pony for special skill. And be careful about advice in magazines that earn their money by selling advertising -- they're not in the business of working for you.

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