The New Jersey Firewall: East Coast Bloggers Weigh-In
East Coast bloggers weigh-in on the firewall Avvo has hit in New Jersey regarding attorney licensing records. Powering her press from Washington, DC, Carolyn Elefant introduces an interesting angle to this whole matter in here Law.com article entitled, “New Jersey’s Fight to Keep Lawyer Records from Avvo: Privacy or Profit Motive?” She writes:
Consider this: In 2006, the New Jersey state bar launched a fee-based, online lawyer directory at its Web site. The directory would allow consumers looking for lawyers to click on a live link directly to the firm’s Web site. The bar recognized that the fee-based listings would generate revenues for the state bar. As New Jersey Bar spokesperson Barbara Straczynski explained in this article on Law.com, “if just 100 members sign up for links to their own sites, that’s $10,000 right there.”
. . .
It’s too bad that New Jersey is so busy “minding its “p’s” — privacy and profit — that it’s overlooking the p-word that should matter most in all of this: the public.
Live from New York, Scott Greenfield writes in his post entitled, “Avvo Sues Jersey to Share the Wealth“:
. . . New Jersey’s refusal to disclose the identities of its lawyers because it will interfere with the state’s own ability to cash in is an affront to the public.
If Jersey refused because it had issues with Avvo’s ratings, like the issues it has with Super Lawyers, then it would be a fair question and a responsible position. But if the only problem is has is cash (hey, it’s not cheap to clean up toxic waste sites, you know), then it’s just plain disingenuous.
Let’s hope that the firewall we have hit in New Jersey, contrary to these articles, is not about the cash. Consumers need help navigating the legal industry, and hopefully New Jersey will step up to assist Avvo in its mission of getting consumers the information and guidance they need to choose the right lawyer.
Mark