So I was asked the other night by someone I met at a function if a particular lawyer was the "best lawyer in New York"? Best lawyer in New York? Hmmm.
The question was quite natural. We all want to use the "best lawyer" we can find. And for the money that lawyers often charge, we figure, he or she better be the best! Still, the notion of the 'best lawyer in New York' is a bit more complicated.
Ultimately, you want to choose the best lawyer in New York--for you and your particular matter.
To begin with, you need to make sure that the attorney of your choice handles the kind of matter you need. Your podiatrist brother-in-law may indeed be among the best in his profession, but he would be the first to refer you to a cardiologist if you are complaining of chest pains. To a certain extent, similar concepts apply in choosing a lawyer. I, for example, have never handled a divorce case in my years of legal practice and would be the first to refer such cases to those who do handle them.
That is not to say you need New York's most specialized lawyer in every matter. If you are looking to start your own small business, you don't necessarily need to hire a lawyer who has been hired by Microsoft. Sure, you do need a lawyer who is familiar with New York corporate law, but you are probably wasting your money if you are hiring for your start-up venture a law firm that primarily handles Fortune 500 companies.
In the end, the choice of the best lawyer for you may come down to comfort level and trust. You need to make sure that you can trust your own lawyer. How can you tell? Asking trusted friends is one way. Having a conversation with the lawyer can sometimes give you some clues. And, sometimes you have a third way.
That third way is to see if others have trusted him. Lawyers often list their affiliations with various professional or charitable organizations on their web sites. See if the lawyer has been entrusted with positions of trust and leadership in such organizations. No, it's not a guarantee. But using a lawyer who has been entrusted by a number of organizations and associations may be worthy of your trust as well.
Or maybe not. As I said before, the matter of the "best lawyer" is really a matter of the best lawyer--for you.