Shane Mullen Awarded Top Attorney Texas 3 Years Running

(Newswire.net — March 19, 2016) Dallas, TX — Dallas local personal injury attorney Shane V. Mullen was recently named a 2016 “Super Lawyers Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine, a Thomson-Reuters publication.

Super Lawyers hands this designation out to the top 2.5% in who fit into the following group: 40 years of age and under and less than 10 years in practice. The award makes this the third year in a row that Mullen has been given this mark of excellence. The multi-consecutive year win places Mullen and his law firm in the single digit top percentile of law firms in America which can claim such a record.

Legal industry publisher, FindLaw released a survey on factors consumers look for when they choose legal representation. Three of the top factors sited by the survey were expertise, recommendations, and a sense of trust. 

According to Thompson Reuters, the “Super Lawyers” selection process uses 12 factors to rigorously vest attorneys for excellence in these areas. So unique and complex is the selection process that Thompson Reuters received a patent on for it in 2013.

 “Most of my clients are dealing with some of the hardest times they’ve ever gone through,” said attorney Shane Mullen. “It can be easy for lawyers to lose site of that when they are trying to grow their practice. Getting the Rising Star distinction 3 years in a row is an honor. It’s also a confirmation to me that doing the best work I possibly can for my clients is worth it. Even though the ‘Rising Star’ recognition isn’t about client satisfaction, we find that many of the other factors that get taken into account when they give this designation fall into place when we put most of our focus on our clients. By the time we finish a case, we want them to feel, without reservation, that they’ve had the best experience any law firm in the country could give them. Hands down. We want them to feel that we’ve taken care of them. More than taken care of them, that we’ve gone beyond what other firms would do for them. Even if it means we front medical costs or take care of other issues that don’t directly factor into their settlement but which are important to their recovery.”

 “There is a very strong trend toward companies returning the customer experience to top priority,” stated Daniel Cook, an independent consultant who specializes in law firm marketing. “That trend is extremely relevant to personal injury law practices. There is a return to good old fashioned personal attention. It’s no longer enough to just take a client’s case through the process. A good lawyer holds their hand through it. Clients need to feel that personal attention, especially from a professional with whom they are trusting to handle issues that can have permanent ramifications in their lives. More and more, ‘going the extra mile’ for your client is becoming the expected norm and firms that don’t find ways to go the distance, and get recognition for that in the form of accolades and online reviews will have a hard time gaining the trust of new clients.”

Whether client satisfaction or industry accolades are more important for attorneys, standing out in the legal industry may continue to become more and more difficult.

Many sources have commented on the difficulty that law students have had in recent years finding employment after law school. An article from The Washington Post quoted Darin Morgan, a partner at Major, Lindsey & Africa, a legal recruitment firm as saying, “I’m seeing people with good credentials from good law schools struggling to get jobs.” 

Will more and more law graduates who can’t find employment set up shop and start private practices? If so, lawyers and private firms will need to continue to innovate new ways to stand apart as Shane Mullen has done for his firm.

The honor is reserved for the top 2.5% of all lawyers in Texas under the age of 40, or with less than 10 years of practice experience. This will mark the third year in a row that Mullen has earned this top distinction. The recognition places him in the top single digit percentage of all attorneys in America under 40 able to claim the presigeous designation for multiple years running.

“It truly is a privilege to be a Super Lawyer Rising Star for the third year in a row,” said Attorney Mullen. “Clients are going through one of the most stressful times in their lives when they come to me. I do everything possible to hold their hand and walk them through the intimidating legal process. The goal is that they get a better legal outcome than anywhere else, pay minimal legal fees, and that they feel personally cared for too. Our firm even connects injury victims with doctors and hospitals who delay billing until their case resolves so they don’t have to worry about medical bills, debt collectors, or bankruptcy,” he added.

The Super Lawyers Rising Stars list has likely the most rigorous selection process of any award available to personal injury lawyers. Lawyers cannot pay a fee or do favors for friends to make the list. Instead, Super Lawyers has skilled analysts who check 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Some of the categories include Verdicts and Settlements, Other Honors and Awards, Special Licenses and Certifications, and Other Outstanding Achievements.

The nomination process includes several checks to ensure the system cannot be gamed. While lawyers can nominate other lawyers, who does the nominating is tracked. It eliminates the possibility of friends nominating each other. It also stops block nominations, where all lawyers in a firm could nominate one lawyer. Finally, it stops lawyers from campaigning to nominate other lawyers. The attorney-led research staff’s goal is to create a credible and objective list of the most outstanding attorneys in Texas for consumers and other attorneys looking for legal counsel.