Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2001
Abstract
This Article provides information about a new method to shop for legal services, reinventing the way potential clients connect with attorneys. Several dot-coms manage the transaction in which clients purchase legal services through the Internet, providing a venue for businesses and individuals seeking legal services and attorneys interested in representing them. Every year tens of millions of small businesses and individuals are looking for a good attorney. But, for many consumers, the process of selecting a lawyer is a confusing and daunting task. The result, the American Bar Association ("ABA") says, has been a troubling disconnect between the legal profession and millions of potential clients who go it alone because they find lawyers too intimidating, too costly, and too difficult to find. According to a 1998 study by the ABA, nearly half of Americans have a need for legal advice once a year, yet only 20 percent hire an attorney. Upstart Internet entrepreneurs claim they have discovered a way to bridge that gap and the entrepreneurs forecast a radical transformation in the way lawyers and clients find one another and how they interact.
Recommended Citation
Pat Newcombe, Shopping for Legal Services Online, 21 LLNE News, no. 2, 2001, at 6.