WHAT YOU WANT IS A GOOD LAWYER, EVEN IF HE OR SHE IS NOT PAGAN

Having a lawyer who is not a Pagan is not necessarily a bad thing. What you want is a good lawyer. You want someone who has experience in the type of case you have: a constitutional law case, a criminal case, an employment discrimination case, a child custody case, etc. You want a lawyer who is reasonably close to the court that your case is situated in so that you do not have to pay travel expenses. You want a lawyer who has previously practiced before this particular judge

The computer has really changed everything, and this is evident when seeking out attorney referrals. Each state has a bar association, usually located in the state capital. Many bar associations have Websites that are easily accessed. Simple searches on Web browsers that list the name of your state and a request for the bar association will yield fruitful results. You could start with www.getareferral.com, www.law.freeadvice.com/resources/linkbar.htm, or www.lawline.org/lawclinics/missouri/legalaid-legaladvice.htm.

or a lawyer who comes from a firm with other lawyers who have practiced before this particular judge in the past. You want a lawyer who is willing to talk to you like a human being, to do the research necessary to become familiar with your type of Paganism and your case, and who will be willing to handle the appeal, if necessary. If you find yourself in a legal situation such as a child custody matter, eviction proceedings, divorce proceedings, a landlord/tenant dispute, or criminal action, then it is critical that you seek the legal advice of a competent attorney within your community.

If you are worried about your attorney’s credentials, check with the Martindale-Hubbell volumes for your attorney’s listing, which can usually be found in any law library. So, while you are at the law library in the courthouse of your county seat, ask the librarian for the location of these volumes. They are organized by state. It may be worthwhile to take the time to look through the hard copy of the Martindale-Hubbell volumes. It is easier to find what you are looking for this way. Most attorneys and their credentials will be listed there. In addition to the huge volumes listing lawyers nationally, Martindale-Hubbell now has a Website with a lawyer locator feature. They can be found on the Internet at www.martindale.com/. On that Website, lawyers can be located by state and town. From there, they can be located by name and by specialty. Most attorneys will also have their law school degrees and state license accreditations hanging on the walls of their offices. If they are admitted to practice in specific courts, such as federal district courts or federal appellate courts, those licenses will probably be hanging on the walls of the office as well. If you are concerned about their professional ethics, check with the state bar association to see if there are any complaints lodged against your attorney for ethics violations.

Via phone, you can get the number for the state capital, and then you can ask for the State Bar Association. Dial the number. Inform whomever answers that you are looking for the bar association referral line. Once you have dialed that number and have gotten someone on the phone, tell them that you need an attorney in your particular county and your particular town whose expertise is in domestic issues, civil rights issues, etc. Very briefly explain what your problem is. You will probably   receive a list of names or another source of information. You have to work from there.