Introduction

This guide is intended to assist the patron who wants to find information about a specific attorney or who wants to locate an attorney who practices in a specific area of law or in a particular geographic area.

1. Martindale-Hubbell--Print Version
2. Martindale-Hubbell and West Legal Directory--Online Versions
3. Other Directories
4. Lawyer Referral Service
5. Other Resources

Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory (REF - KF190/M3)

Martindale-Hubbell, the most comprehensive listing of United States attorneys and a substantial listing of foreign attorneys who represent American companies and individuals overseas, is arranged by state and locality in numerous volumes. The pages devoted to each state are arranged alphabetically by city and by the name of the firm. At the beginning of each volume, there are blue pages listing attorneys alphabetically, followed by codes indicating college and law schools attended, date of admission, " peer rating", and address. When an individual is affiliated with a law firm, its name is given. If the firm has a more complete listing in the white pages, its name is given in brackets [ name ].

Locating information about an attorney if you have the individual's name:

Locate the volume labeled "ALPHABETICAL INDEX (A-Z)". This volume contains the names of all attorneys listed in Martindale-Hubbell.

Note the state and city in which the attorney practices.

Find the volume that covers the state in which the attorney practices.

Consult the blue pages at the beginning of the volume to find the name of the firm with which the attorney is associated. The firm's name will be set off in brackets.

Locate the state, city, and firm within the white pages.

Attorneys are usually listed by name, partners first. In some firms, attorneys are listed by seniority.

If no firm name is given for the listing in the blue pages, note the numbers given for college and law school, if this is important to you, rating, and the address. The key to schools and ratings appears in the front of each volume.

Locating attorneys who practice in a particular area of law:

Identify the area of law from the list of areas of law listing in the volume labeled "AREAS OF PRACTICE INDEX".

Find the listings for the area(s) of law you have chosen, and the state and locality closest to your own.

Identify the attorneys listed for the localities near your home and note their names, together with the states and cities in which they practice.

Proceed to locate information about the individual attorneys, beginning with step number 3 in the information above on "locating information about an attorney if you have their name".

Locating an attorney who practices in a particular geographical area:

Locate the volume that covers the state in which you are interested.

Within the blue pages for the state, locate the city in which the attorney practices to identify all the individuals who practice in the locality, or

Within the white pages for the state, locate the city in which the attorney practices to review the law firms in the locality and the individual biographical entries for the attorneys in the firm and the specialties they practice.

Interpreting the information about attorneys:

Each volume has a table of "EXPLANATORY NOTES AND SYMBOLS" inside the front cover.

Each volume in which attorneys are listed contains a "USERS GUIDE" with examples and explanations.

Each volume in which attorneys are listed includes a page explaining "MARTINDALE-HUBBELL RATINGS".

Martindale-Hubbell and West Legal Directory on the Web

At  www.lawyers.com you may search for information for any of the attorneys or firms which appear in the white pages of Martindale-Hubbell Note, individual attorneys whose names appear in the blue pages of the hard copy may not be listed in the online version . . . if you are looking for a specific individual, you may have to go to the print to get information.

Martindale-Hubbell also maintains a web site where you can locate

a lawyer by name

lawyers by location and practice area

a law firm

a corporate law department

U.S. Government lawyers

U.S. Law Faculty

The West Legal Directory is available from Findlaw. One can locate lawyers by name, law firm, or browsing by practice area, city, or state. Browsing by practice area is also available for corporate and government lawyers.

Other Directories

Other directories listing attorneys are available in the law library. For a complete listing, enter the following term search in LION, our online catalog:lawyers - united states - directories, or lawyers - virginia - directories

An example of a directory listing Virginia lawyers is:

VIRGINIA LEGAL DIRECTORY (REF KF190/V52) - This covers both Virginia and West Virginia, listing attorneys by name for the entire state , listing law firms by name for the entire state, and listing attorneys by city and county in Virginia. Addresses and telephone numbers are provided.

Lawyer Referral Service

707 E. Main St., Suite 1500
Richmond, VA 23219-2800
Tel.: (800) 552-7977

The Virginia Lawyer Referral Service is a service of the Virginia State Bar. The lawyer referral service provides referrals to an attorney who has indicated a particular interest in handling problems in the area of law requested by the individual requesting a referral. Participating attorneys have agreed to offer an initial 30-minute consultation for a fee of $35.00 or less. Prospective clients should ask the attorney directly about any fees before beginning a consultation.

Other Resources:

Consumers' Guide to Getting Legal Help (LAW SELF-HELP KF311/Z9/C66/2000)

The American Lawyer: When and How to Use One (LAW SELF-HELP KF311/Z9/R46)

How to Find the Best Lawyers abd Save over 50% on Legal Fees! (LAW SELF-HELP KF311/R64)