How do I shop long distance for a Colorado based lawyer?

January 8, 2013 11:15 AM

I've got a potential, medical malpractice law suit regarding a now deceased sibling who lived in Breckenridge, CO, but need to find a solid lawyer from where I reside in Portland, OR. Any suggestions?
posted by tangyraspberry to law & government (3 answers total)

Colorado Bar Association lawyer referral service.
posted by Tanizaki at 11:22 AM on January 8

Do you know any lawyers in Portland? Call them and see if they can find a referral for you. Getting a referral through another lawyer is almost always superior to using the list of lawyers the bar association puts out. That's because most lawyers' business comes via referrals from other lawyers, and lawyers will typically know other good lawyers, frequently in other jurisdictions.

Your best bets for getting a referral through another lawyer in Portland are either if (A) you know someone who practices med mal in Oregon, as they are more likely to know someone who practices med mal in Colorado or (B) if the lawyer you ask for a referral works at a larger Portland firm. In my firm, when something like this comes up, if I don't know anyone myself, I send a firmwide e-mail--which is like asking 100+ lawyers instead of just one.

It's not unusual at all for one of our clients to call up and say "Hey, do you know a lawyer in ____ who can handle ____?" even if it's obvious that it's something our firm doesn't do. So I'd go that route before picking a name at random from the Bar Association.
posted by MoonOrb at 11:41 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]

Yes, I agree with MoonOrb. Network through lawyers you know. Big firm lawyers can send out an e-mail to hundreds of lawyers saying "a friend of the firm needs a referral to a good med mal lawyer in Colorado" and get good responses and med mal practitioners at any sized firm may know of prominent colleagues in Colorado.
posted by Area Man at 2:41 PM on January 8