Legal Definitions - Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory

The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory is a long-established and comprehensive resource for information about the legal profession. Originally published as a series of annual books, it is now primarily an extensive online database. It serves as a global directory for legal professionals and organizations, including individual lawyers, law firms, corporate legal departments, and government attorneys. Beyond providing contact information and professional profiles, it is also well-known for its peer-review ratings of lawyers, which reflect the opinions of other attorneys and judges regarding a lawyer's ethical standards and professional ability. Additionally, the directory includes concise summaries of laws for various jurisdictions within the United States and many foreign countries.

Here are a few examples of how the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory might be used:

• Imagine a small business owner in Seattle who needs to find an attorney specializing in employment law to help draft new employee contracts. The owner, having no prior connections in the legal field, could use the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory to search for employment lawyers in their city. They could then review the professional profiles of several attorneys, compare their experience, and look at their peer ratings to help them choose a reputable and qualified legal professional.

• Consider a U.S. attorney whose client is planning to open a new branch of their company in Canada. Before advising the client on the initial steps, the U.S. attorney needs a general understanding of Canadian business formation laws. They could consult the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory's digest of foreign laws to quickly access a summary of relevant Canadian legal principles, helping them provide preliminary guidance or identify the need for local Canadian counsel.

• A recent law school graduate is exploring job opportunities and wants to research different law firms in Chicago that specialize in environmental law. By using the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the graduate can browse profiles of environmental law firms, learn about their practice areas, see the backgrounds of their attorneys, and even identify specific partners or associates who might be potential mentors or colleagues, aiding their career exploration.