Washington Lawyers Give Web Site Low Ranking
20 November 2012
Finding a lawyer in Washington may be about to become more difficult, if the District of Columbia Bar Association has its way.
The association has asked an online directory that compiles profiles of lawyers form the bar’s web site to cease and desist, according to a story in the Washington Post. The bar argues that posting profiles and contact information for area lawyers violates copyright law and privacy rights.
“This has nothing to do with obstructing access to information,” the bar’s spokeswoman, Cynthia Kuhn, told the Post. “It has to do with a commercial company taking this information without authorisation and in some cases perpetuating misinformation” by not updating the data frequently enough.
Avvo.com, the site posting the profiles in its directory, argues that it is helping consumers find lawyers through readily-available public information.
“There’s no reason why lawyer-licensing records should be treated any differently than records for any other profession,” Joshua King, general counsel for the Seattle start-up, told the Post. “The bar doesn't like the fact that the information is out of its control.”
Also at issue, perhaps, is the fact that consumers can use the web site to rate Washington lawyers, an area of increasing tension in some US states. In California, a dentist and a chiropractor recently sued patients who posted negative reviews about them on consumer rating site Yelp.com, alleging that the negative comments made against them were false.
The web site lists lawyers licensed in the District, including information about how many years they have been in practice, any disciplinary hearings and consumer ratings.
The bar’s members alerted it to Avvo's directory last year, the Post story said. In a January 27 letter, the association demanded that Avvo “immediately remove the improperly acquired information regarding members.” If Avvo does not comply, the letter said the bar would “pursue any and all available remedies.”
According to the Post, Avvo founder Mark Britton said the site does not remove profiles, although lawyers can modify or add information and appeal reviews they consider unfair or untrue. Avvo will delete personal information, such as home addresses, upon request.
