Michael Fertik Weighs in on Dispute Between Lawyer Review Site Avvo and the District of Columbia Bar

One of the best things about the Internet is the ease with which individuals can access information. What was once only publicly available at the local court house or government office, is now accessible with a quick Google search. Of course, this convenience is changing the way that organizations and industries are dealing with digital transparency. A recent Washington Post article discusses a tiff between the District of Columbia Bar Association and Avvo.com, a web directory of attorneys.

According to the report, the D.C. Bar is upset with Avvo for posting information that they feel breaches copyright laws and privacy rights. Avvo claims that the information is publicly available, so there is no harm in posting it online for consumers to make educated decisions when hiring an attorney. The ability to post lawyer reviews appears to be at the heart of the matter.

From the article:

“This has nothing to do with obstructing access to information,” said the bar’s spokeswoman, Cynthia Kuhn. “It has to do with a commercial company taking this information without authorization and in some cases perpetuating misinformation” by not updating the data frequently enough.

Avvo.com, the site posting the profiles, says it’s simply using public data to help consumers find lawyers and their track records.

[SNIP]

The dispute is the latest in an escalating debate over how private Web sites can use public information. It also underscores the tension around a growing number of sites that allow clients to publicly critique any professional, from doctors to plumbers.

As we’ve discussed on the ReputationDefender blog previously, consumer review sites, such as Yelp, have become some of the most frequently used websites on the Internet. Unfortunately, they have also become some of the most abused websites on the Internet. Because of the often anonymous nature of these review sites, it is easy for people to be unfairly critical of businesses. In many cases, because the Internet is the first place people now turn to for information, one or two negative reviews of a company can be enough to substantially decrease the amount of new customers a business attracts.

In the same article for the Washington Post, ReputationDefender CEO Michael Fertik explained the effect of negative reviews further.

“Some of the sites that began as restaurant review sites are becoming repositories for professional reviews, as well,” he said. “Now five negative reviews are reducing their client growth by half, even though there’s not enough data on these review sites to get good results.”

It is interesting to note that, for all of the problems the D.C. Bar seems to have with Avvo, the site operates at a far greater level of accountability than other consumer review sites. For instance, rather than allowing users to post reviews anonymously, Avvo requires that posters provide a full name and contact information. Additionally, Avvo provides lawyers with an opportunity to claim their profile and add additional information to make them more attractive to potential clients, a key step in proactively managing your online reputation.