Lawyer Rating Service Petitions N.J. Court for Lawyer Records
The lawyer-rating service Avvo has petitioned New Jersey’s highest court to gain access to public information about that state’s lawyers.
Avvo wants access to names, year of admission and current bar status about lawyers licensed in the state, according to Avvo and an Associated Press report.
Avvo maintains that its requests for records have been rebuffed by Stephen Townsend, clerk of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Townsend reportedly told Avvo that the records aren’t subject to the state’s open records laws.
However, Avvo disputes that in its petition (PDF), noting that Court Rule 1:38 states: “All records which are required by statute or rule to be made, maintained or kept on file by any court office or official within the judicial branch of government shall be deemed a public record and shall be available for public inspection and copying.”
A court spokeswoman, Winnie Comfort, reportedly said the court received Avvo’s petition, but she declined to comment further.
Avvo currently operates in nine states plus the District of Columbia. It publishes public information, including disciplinary records, about each licensed lawyer, offers lawyers a chance to add details and makes all profiles available to the public to view.
