Finding the right lawyer is hard. When you choose a firm to represent you in your employment law claim, you are depending on the education, skill, and experience of those lawyers to get the best possible outcome. Unfortunately, law firm advertising and websites almost never give you the information you need to choose the best firm to protect your rights. Here are a few questions to ask before choosing a firm to represent you:

Education

Ask your potential lawyer where she or he went to law school and research how that school is ranked. There are approximately 200 accredited law schools in the United States, and approximately 30 law schools that are not accredited. When big firms and large corporations look for attorneys, they often choose lawyers who attended one of a small number of highly prestigious law schools.

Why do law firms and corporations that can afford to hire any attorney tend to favor lawyers who went to the most prestigious law schools? There are at least two reasons. First, the highest-ranked law schools have the ability to select the best and brightest students. Second, these highly-ranked schools have a reputation for providing the highest caliber of legal education.

Of course, good lawyers can come from any educational background. But understanding an attorney’s educational background can be an important factor in deciding between different lawyers or law firms. At the Graves firm, Attorney Allen Graves attended the University of Michigan School of Law, which is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 law schools in the United States.

Big-Firm Experience

Ask your potential lawyer if she or he has experience working at one of the large firms that frequently represent defendants in employment litigation. When you bring a lawsuit against a large corporate employer, the company will almost always be represented by one of the nation’s largest law firms.

At the Graves Firm, we believe that one of the most useful tools for facing these kinds of opponents is experience at those same large law firms. Understanding how big law firms try to protect employers who violate the law can be a big advantage in getting the best possible outcome in your case. From 1999 until 2004, attorney Allen Graves practiced employment law at Paul Hastings, a large national law firm. The firm was ranked by The American Lawyer as having the best employment law practice in the United States at the time Mr. Graves worked there.

Focus on Employment Law

Ask your potential lawyer if he or she focuses exclusively on employment law. Employment law in California is complex. We believe that lawyers who focus exclusively on employment law have more opportunity to gain expertise and stay up to date in a field that is constantly evolving. At the Graves Firm, we practice employment law exclusively.

Case Volume

Ask your potential lawyer how many cases per attorney his or her firm maintains. Different law firms have different philosophies about the amount of resources that they devote to each case. Some firms take a volume approach, taking on a lot of cases and trying to settle quickly in order to maximize profits. These high-volume law firms often operate aggressive marketing operations with lots of advertising.

At the Graves Firm, we take a different approach. Our firm never has more than 10 cases per lawyer at the firm. That means that your case gets individual attention from a lawyer who will actually be there to answer your questions. It also means we have more time and attention available to get the best possible outcome from every case that we take on.

To learn more about the Graves Firm and our qualifications, contact us to schedule a consultation.