Lawyer Referral Service

General Information
- Last Updated 1/2/08 -
Choosing a lawyer can be an overwhelming task. Here are some resources:

Personal Referral
One of the best ways to find a lawyer is by asking someone you know (a friend, relative or co-worker) for suggestions. This is especially useful if they have used an lawyer for the same purpose you are seeking one, such as estate planning, family law or bankruptcy.

Professional Referral
Depending on the complexity of your case, you may want to find a lawyer who practices primarily in one field. For instance, if you are planning to organize a business, you might be best served by a lawyer who has worked in your field. You can check with members of professional organizations or others in your field for suggestions. The Yellow Pages also list lawyers and their areas of practice. The Supreme Court has a list of lawyers (called "qualified neutrals") who are qualified to provide alternative dispute resolution services.

Minnesota Lawyer Referral Services
A third option is to contact a Lawyer Referral Service. The Minnesota State Bar Association maintains an online Lawyer Referral System at www.mnfindalawyer.com that assists the public in locating a lawyer practicing law in Minnesota and helps identify the areas of law that the lawyer practices in.

Referral services are also operated by a number of other organizations within Minnesota:

Lawyer Referral Programs In Other States:
To locate a lawyer in a state other than Minnesota, please refer to the American Bar Association website which maintains a list of the lawyer referral programs operating in other states: http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/lris/directory.html

Respond to an advertisement. Lawyers may use consumer advertising (in Yellow Pages, on radio and TV, in magazines and newspapers, etc.) to inform the public of their services and charges for certain routine legal matters. You will find the most complete listing in the Yellow Pages section of your telephone directory. Some attorneys will list the types of cases which they accept or the subject areas in which they prefer to practice. Some others will describe themselves as "certified" or as a "certified specialist." This means that the lawyer has met certain standards of knowledge and experience and concentrates his or her work in the field in which he or she is certified. For more information about certification, go to How can I find a lawyer who specializes in a specific type of law?

Many lawyers offer a free brief initial consultation to help you determine whether you need to hire a lawyer. You can ask the lawyer whether s/he offers this when you call for an appointment. You can call the Tel-Law tape library, a series of 75 recorded messages available 24 hours a day on a variety of common legal topics (phone 612/752-6699). Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota counties each have a service where you can have a brief consultation with a lawyer during certain times; check with these counties to find out times and eligibility:

What if I can’t afford a lawyer in a civil case?
There are civil legal aid providers serving all 87 Minnesota counties. People requesting assistance usually are screened first for financial eligibility. Because of limited resources, each local office also has priorities for the kinds of cases it is able to handle. If you qualify, a legal aid staff lawyer may help you or you may be assigned to a lawyer who works with the legal aid office to provide "pro bono" services (for free). If the pro bono program is separate from the local legal aid office, legal aid will refer you if it’s appropriate. This means that certain kinds of cases aren’t handled even if people are financially eligible. Sometimes there will be a waiting list for certain kinds of services (like divorces). These offices do NOT handle cases that are potentially fee generating (accidents for example). To find the local legal aid office(s) serving your county, go to www.LawHelpMN.org.

What if I can’t afford a lawyer in a criminal case?
The public defenders office may be appointed by the court to represent you. If you don’t qualify for public defender services, you will need to hire a lawyer at your own expense.

Yes. Everyone is entitled to act as his or her own counsel, but in an increasingly complex age where specialization is the rule, acting as your own lawyer can often lead to disaster. While you can proceed pro se (representing yourself), it is not often wise, and you must be prepared to live with the consequences. If you represent yourself, you still will be expected to know and follow the court rules and procedures that apply in your jurisdiction. It is not the court’s job to help you navigate through the legal system, and court clerks and judges are very restricted in the types of information they can provide to you; they cannot help you complete the forms you will need. At the very least, be sure to consult your local law library and ask the librarian for any resources the library has for pro se litigants. The Minnesota State Law Library identifies some Self-Help Resources that may be useful to you available on the web; visit www.lawlibrary.state.mn.us/mnlr.html.

The do-it-yourself kits for handling your own divorce or writing a will do not take into account your individual needs, differences or complications, nor are they written with the specific laws of Minnesota in mind. You should consider your options carefully before you proceed to address your legal needs without consulting a lawyer. If you represent yourself, you proceed at your own risk.

Like other professionals, many lawyers specialize by concentrating their practices in certain fields or limiting the type of matters they handle. Lawyers who want to refer to themselves as specialists must be "certified" (i.e., undergo testing and peer review) by a qualified group. Certification measures a lawyer's knowledge and experience in the specialty area.

Since 1988, the Minnesota State Bar Association has been approved as an independent professional organization for certifying legal specialists in two fields: civil trial and real property. Only lawyers who successfully complete the application process and continue to be in compliance with all program requirements may call themselves MSBA Certified Specialists.

The Minnesota Attorney Registrar’s Office should have that information for you. Call them at 651/ 296-2254 or go to http://www.courts.state.mn.us/mars/

There are more than 22,000 lawyers licensed to practice in Minnesota; approximately 15,000 are members of the Minnesota State Bar Association, which is a voluntary professional association for members of the legal profession.

If you are not happy with how an attorney is handling your case, you have several options for improving the situation. What to do depends on the nature of the problem.

You are dissatisfied with the progress of your case. If you are dissatisfied with the progress of your case, you should first talk with your attorney directly. Are you unhappy because you have not heard what is happening? It may be that there have been unforeseen delays. Or, you may be expecting your case to proceed more quickly than it can. Your attorney should be able to answer your questions. Remember, though, that attorneys usually charge based on the time they spend working on a case. If you are calling regularly, you can expect to be charged for the time the attorney spends on the case.

After you've talked with your attorney, you can make a decision. If you are still not satisfied, you can fire your lawyer and hire another one, or drop the case entirely. It is possible you have a weak case. Usually, attorneys will let a client know ahead of time whether they think the case can be won -- and at what price. Note that if you owe fees to your former lawyer, he or she has the right to hold on to your files until the fees are paid.

You are unhappy with the fees you have been charged. If your problem revolves around fees, your first step again should be to contact your attorney and discuss the situation. If you agree to the charges, but cannot pay them, the lawyer may be willing to negotiate a payment schedule or some other accommodation. If you believe the charges are incorrect, you should ask the attorney how they were calculated. Most attorneys will send an itemized bill for services. If you still are not satisfied, you can take your complaint to a local Fee Arbitration Panel. The panels include members of the public and attorneys. You will have a chance to explain your side of the dispute and the attorney will also get a chance to speak. After hearing the case, the panel will determine what a fair fee is for the work done. To contact your local fee arbitration panel, contact the MSBA office at 612-333-1183 or 800-882-6722.

Tip: Most problems between lawyers and clients can be solved by regular communication. Don't be afraid to ask questions of your lawyer. Fees should be discussed thoroughly at your first meeting with the attorney. Keep your own file of materials and records related to the case.