In some instances, a special test is required for proficiency in a particular area of law such as Intellectual Properties, including patents, copyrights and trademarks. Often other areas are internally protected by the government agency which administers a particular area of law. An example would be Securities Law, wherein government agencies regulating securities will require attorneys to meet certain standards and objectives. Additionally, there are certain services that will rank attorneys or rate attorneys. However, a great deal of caution should be used in viewing most of these publications since such ratings may be politically motivated.
Some services look at the number of years an attorney has practiced.
Sometimes special ratings are given to attorneys who are members of large firms. Therefore, if an attorney is not rated as highly by some of these various services, it does not necessarily mean that the attorney is not extremely skilled or well qualified for that particular purpose. These sources of attorney rankings may be helpful, but should be a secondary matter in the process of selection. The primary considerations in selecting an attorney should be whether the client feels comfortable with the attorney selected and if he is confident that the attorney is competent in his field of expertise. The client must feel very comfortable with the attorney and must feel confident that the attorney selected is the one who can capably handle the client's needs.