Why this matters
Anyone can put "business attorney" on a website. State bars maintain public records of who is actually licensed, active, and discipline-free, and checking takes minutes. Skipping it means trusting your contracts, equity, or dispute to an unverified stranger.
What "done" looks like
- Active license confirmed in your state for each finalist
- Public discipline history reviewed
- Admission date matches the claimed years of experience
- No unresolved red flags before the engagement letter (next step)
How to do it
- Find your state bar's attorney search, every U.S. state offers a free public lookup by name through its bar or court system.
- Check license status: active and in good standing, not suspended, inactive, or resigned.
- Read any discipline record. Public actions appear on the profile; a decades-old minor reprimand differs from a recent trust-account violation.
- Cross-check the basics: admission date against claimed experience, and that the address matches the firm you contacted.
- Search the name plus "discipline" or "complaint" for news or court records, then ask the lawyer about anything you find.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a polished website implies a license in your state
- Ignoring inactive status, an inactive lawyer can't represent you
- Treating any discipline as disqualifying without reading what happened
Real-world examples
- The State Bar of California runs a free public Attorney Search showing every licensee's status, admission date, and links to public discipline records, no account required; most states offer an equivalent.
- Suspensions and disbarments are public record nationwide, and bar associations publish recent disciplinary actions so clients can check before hiring.
From a founder's point of view
Verification isn't distrust, it's the diligence a good lawyer would insist on for you. Five minutes on a bar website is the cheapest insurance in this checklist, and a lawyer worth hiring will never resent that you looked.
Rule of thumb
No engagement letter until you've seen "active, no public discipline" with your own eyes on the state bar's site.
