This past month I was honored to be named a Mid-South Rising Star by Super Lawyers. It’s always nice to receive any type of award of recognition for your work, but what does this award really mean?
Here’s the official press release as worded by Super Lawyers, as well as their description of the award. I’ll give you my straight-forward opinion of what this really means further down.
Jami Ferrell has been named to the Mid-South Rising Stars list as one of the top attorneys in Tennessee for 2011. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected to the list.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.
The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines and in leading city and regional magazines across the country. Super Lawyers magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, go to superlawyers.com.
The first Super Lawyers list was published in 1991 and by 2009 the rating service had expanded nationwide. In February 2010 Super Lawyers was acquired by Thomson Reuters the world’s leading source of intelligent information for business and professionals.
So, again, what does it really mean to be listed as a Mid-South Rising Star by Super Lawyers here in Memphis, TN?
It simple terms, it means that fellow Memphis lawyers thought highly enough of my ability to represent clients that they gave me good marks and reviews. Because of these good peer reviews I was lucky enough to be put into a pretty small and select group of lawyers here in Tennessee. And that’s really cool, because it’s always great to be lauded by your peers.
But, does my being awarded this accolade mean that I’m the best Memphis divorce lawyer for you?
Not at all. There are a ton of factors that should go into choosing the divorce attorney that you feel is best for you, and just because I (or any other lawyer) received this award should not be the sole deciding factor in choosing who to hire.
Hey, I’d love to tell you that this means you should hire me for sure and not even look anywhere else. But that would be honest or in your best interest.
I’m sure you’ll probably take this award into consideration when deciding whether or not to hire me, but it still doesn’t mean that I’m the best attorney to represent you in your divorce. In fact, when I took a look at the list I noticed a couple of names that I would not recommend to others. And I also noticed some names on the list who may be good for one person but wrong for another.
Before you make any decision on who to hire you should find out more about that person. Call their office and set up a meeting with them. Find out more about how they handle divorce cases. See if you feel comfortable with them. And learn what they feel you should do about your specific situation.
Remember that it’s your life and your case. It’s fine to take outside awards and recognition into consideration, but NO magazine or list can tell you the best Memphis divorce lawyer for your specific situation.
