The American Academy of Attorneys vs. Lawyers of Distinction
The legal industry is becoming more and more competitive as time goes on. Attorneys are seeking any upper hand that will allow them to stand apart in this incredibly competitive field. The competitive nature of the industry has spawned several legal vanity organizations whose primary goal is to promote and market their members. Two such organizations are Lawyers of Distinction and The American Academy of Attorneys.
With the legal vanity field saturated with competition, Lawyers of Distinction was founded in 2014 with the aim of creating an organization which fairly and unbiasedly evaluates potential members using a series of objective criteria. Using U.S. Provisional Patent # 62/743,254, Lawyers of Distinction utilizes twelve different facts to evaluate prospective members. The standards used by Lawyers of Distinction to assess potential members includes: Honors/Awards, Reviews (Google and AVVO), Case Results, Educational Background, Published Verdicts/Settlements, Representative Clients, Special Certifications, Legal Experience, Pro Bono/Community Outreach, and Writings/Publications/Lectures. The Lawyers of Distinction website sees thousands of people visit daily and, unlike competitors, Lawyers of Distinction does not recommend specific attorneys to clients and is therefore not considered an attorney referral service.
When an attorney is accepted into the Lawyers of Distinction Organization they are provided a myriad of exclusive benefits including: Customized 14 inch x 11 inch rosewood plaque featuring the member’s name, calendar year, and area of practice; an SEO(search engine optimized) enhanced custom profile in the Lawyers of Distinction Member Directory(includes profile photo, biographical information, backlinks to an attorney’s social media and website, Google Map integration, and curated reviews from Google/AVVO/Yelp); Lawyers of Distinction logo and trademarked materials for marketing, a national press release announcing their membership for immediate publication; Membership Rosters published quarterly in print and online in such publications as USA Today, The American Lawyers, The National Law Journal, and The New York Times; Social Media announcements across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin; Brochures with business card inserts for the office; Access to the Members Only Private Facebook Group; Access to over $5000 in membership discounts with a variety of vendors such as Hilton, Marriott, Hertz, and more, and access to free; Unlimited CLE and Legal Research through a proprietary platform. Distinguished members receive an 11-inch Custom Crystal Statue in addition to the custom plaque.
Prospective members of Lawyers of Distinction can be nominated via their Steering Committee, third party nomination from a client or colleague, or they may apply directly for membership with the organization. Should an attorney be nominated by a third party, they are informed by Lawyers of Distinction who submitted their nomination.
The American Academy of Attorneys, similarly, to Lawyers of Distinction, is a legal vanity organization which was created in 2018 whose goal is to promote top-tier attorneys who exemplify the standards and professionalism one should expect from an attorney. The American Academy of Attorneys uses nominations to assist in finding prospective candidates who enter the nomination pool via peer nomination, third party resources and feedback, and a direct nomination from The American Academy of Attorneys Board of Directors. Members of the organization are divided into two categories: TOP 40 UNDER 40 and TOP 100
To evaluate prospective members, The American Academy of Attorneys uses the following criteria such as: An individual attorney’s commitment to ethics and professionalism; Notable verdicts, achievements or settlements; Board Certified Specialization as designated by the State Bar or other leading organization; Nominations from the Board of Directors, industry leading trial attorneys, and existing Members; Membership and executive positions held within state trial attorney organizations or other leading organizations; Any Current ratings or ranking profiles as identified by reputable and credible online or local evaluations.
Once accepted into The American Academy of Attorneys, member attorneys receive the following benefits: discounts and savings with a variety of legal tools useful for practicing attorneys. Though they share many similar benefits, The American Academy of Attorneys does not offer an SEO enhanced directory profile, unlimited, free CLE and Legal Research, digital badge usage, social media integration, or print marketing opportunities in national publications.
While Lawyers of Distinction and The American Academy of Attorneys take differing approaches to the legal vanity market, they both offer their members a comprehensive level of exposure in a competitive legal environment.
