Ever since lawyers started marketing online, a heavy debate has ensued over whether lawyer directories still matter. In the past, print directories and the phone book were the foremost methods for finding legal assistance aside from asking a friend. Today, 96% of people seeking legal advice use a search engine for answers. Many people still rely on personal referrals to find a lawyer.
Online directories like Martindale.com sell themselves as contemporary digital tools for reaching qualified clients. Whether or not they do this successfully depends on whom you ask.
According to Martindale, “corporate counsel are using martindale.com on a regular basis as part of their hiring process” and 90% of corporate counsel use Martindale-Hubbell when hiring outside counsel. Some attorneys are not convinced, however. Consumers behave differently than corporations. They don’t typically look for lawyers in online directories. Consumers use Google, the largest and most sophisticated lawyer directory in history. Meanwhile, businesses tend to stick with the attorneys they know or ask those they trust for a referral.
So why, then, do lawyer directories still matter?