I don’t think that Mark Britton, Avvo’s CEO, likes me a lot anymore. He never invites me to parties. I didn’t get a Christmas card from him (of Avvo, for that matter). He never calls to chat like his partner Paul used to do. Plus, he makes fun of me on twitter, even when he knows I’m right. I can’t be positive, but it’s likely because he thinks I say “irrational” things about Avvo. CEOs can be so hypersensitive.
It’s not that I want to be critical of Avvo. I really don’t. It’s that Mark retwits stuff from lawyers who exclaim “Just got my first client from Avvo.com! Answered a question yesterday, he called today & is coming in tomorrow.” I can’t help but wonder if a lawyer getting their first call from Avvo is really worthy of broadcast throughout the twittersphere. Is it that rare an event?
I get lots of calls from Avvo. Why this very morning, I received my 250th (rough count) call. I sure hope Mark twits about it.
What I haven’t gotten is a single case that I would even consider taking, whether because they aren’t within my practice area, they aren’t within a thousand miles of where I practice, they don’t actually have a case or they don’t have any intention of paying for legal services. They are, for the most part, nice enough folks. They just aren’t the folks I represent.
What these calls, usually taking up about 15 minutes of my time despite my efforts to get the caller to sum up the salient details in a few words so I can figure out whether they’ve called the right lawyer, are about is answers. The callers don’t really want to retain a lawyer, but they want answers from a lawyer. They callers don’t have any intention of paying a lawyer, but they expect answers for free.
Why should this be so? Because Avvo tells them that good lawyers, nice lawyers, answer questions for free. That’s why there is Avvo Answers. Except Avvo Answers lacks the immediacy that some people expect, thus compelling them to find a name and phone number and call for their free answer by phone. Hey, I just came up with a new Avvo promotion, Avvo Free Phone Answers! If you use that, Mark, I want credit.
Another type of caller I get from Avvo is the one who has exhausted all the local lawyers, who have each, in seriatim, told the caller that they have no case, and so the caller has decided to branch out to other fields of law and regions of the country. After all, if the local lawyers won’t have them, there has to be some lawyer somewhere who will take their case. It’s a great case, they all tell me. It’s just that the local lawyers all suck and don’t recognize how important it is. My guess is that someone may ultimately be right in this assessment, but that person has yet to call me.
If I were more accommodating, I’m sure that most, if not all, would love to come in and meet with me. They would be happy to have an hour long free consultation. They might even be happy for a longer consultation. They aren’t happy when I explain on the phone that I can’t answer their questions and can’t take their case. Some can be downright hostile, though most are merely dejected.
In fairness, I know other criminal defense lawyers who tell me that they have gotten cases from Avvo. Cases they wanted and have taken. My experience may not be your experience, but then we may not practice in the same niche or market.
For those who feel I might be a little too picky, I would be more than happy to refer my calls to you. If you’re interested in an accused wife-beater from Queens who “only slapped her a few times” and doesn’t see why he should have to pay a lawyer since he’s innocent, please send me your number. It would be my pleasure to send them your way.
So Mark Britton, are we friends again?
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Scott, I use MH, Avvo, etc., Cornell (actually obtained a client from Cornell), Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger, etc. I know I left 7-10 others out. I have spent a lot of time signing up and fielding calls. Gee, I even got a call from Sheraton Hotels-Seattle yesterday asking if they could come to my office to meet with me about their business. Lawyers, I guess, have to be right up there near the top as marketing targets (especially now). But, as to the social media sites whether they are strictly law-related or pitched as a good thing for lawyers like Twitter, I think that their professed value(at least for today)is completely overstated (and I guess for good reason$). I appreciate the new business models and the pioneers but, like you suggest, giving it the devotion that some seem to demand doesn’t seem justifiable especially for some practices. I think it is very interesting, on a variety of levels, to watch. I also think that using social media is compelling and even fun. However, now that I’m all signed up, I am going to pass the burden to my new “Administrator for Social Media” who will occasionally brief me on how everything is shaking out. This way, I will have more time to get out into my local community and practice law the old-fashioned way while it is still around.
I don’t even know what Cornell is (aside from a University), and I’ve never figured out what to do with LinkedIn, though I’m signed up and get emails from it. I got my 251st call from Avvo yesterday, another tiny case that I passed along to one of my younger associates who later told me that the caller was another one who thought lawyers came free, and passed on the case as well.
Maybe someday, somehow, something worthwhile will come of all this, but I’m with you. I’m just going to enjoy the hi-tech show and spend my time being an old fashioned lawyer. Others can spend their days answering free questions in foreign areas of practice and foreign jurisdictions to show what great humanitarians they are and possibly (gulp) score a case. I’ve got work to do.