One way to measure an attorney's abilities and reputation is by reference to what peers have to say about an attorney. Dean Stowers is honored to be recognized by his peers by inclusion in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, The American Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Litigation Counsel of America, and a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating AV. For an understanding of the methodologies of each of these we have included criterion from each of these organizations.
Super Lawyers
Dean Stowers has been named in the 2009 list of Great Plains Super Lawyers. ® Only 5 percent of all lawyers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa are named to the list-a compilation of outstanding attorneys from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
The Selection Process
The Super Lawyers selection process involves three basic steps: creation of the candidate pool; evaluation of candidates by the research department; and peer evaluation by practice area.
Step One: Creation of the Candidate Pool
Lawyers enter the candidate pool by being formally nominated by a peer; identified by the research department in the "Star Search" process; or informally nominated.
Step Two: Evaluation of Lawyers in Candidate Pool
Super Lawyers' research department evaluates each candidate based on these 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement: verdicts and settlements; transactions; representative clients; experience; honors and awards; special licenses and certifications; position within law firm; bar and or other professional activity; pro bono and community service as a lawyer; scholarly lectures and writings; education and employment background; and other outstanding achievements.
These indicators are not treated equally; some have a higher maximum point value than others.
Step Three: Peer Evaluation by Practice Area
In this step, also known as the "blue ribbon review," candidates are grouped according to their primary areas of practice. The candidates in each practice area with the highest point totals from steps one and two above are asked to serve on a blue ribbon panel. The panelists are then provided a list of candidates from their practice areas to review and rate on a scale of one to ten.
Final Selection
Candidates are grouped into four firm-size categories. Those with the highest point totals from each category are selected.
Best Lawyers in America
Dean Stowers has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.®
Selection Process
Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. For 25 years, the top lawyers in the U.S. have helped make The Best Lawyers In America the leading legal referral guide by candidly evaluating the work of other top lawyers in the same specialties and geographic areas.
Best Lawyers is published annually. Each year, lawyers in half the states (by population) are called and asked to vote by phone; lawyers in the other half are asked to vote by e-mail or fax. The next year, the process is reversed, so that every voter has an opportunity to vote "in person" every two years.
Whether by telephone, e-mail, or fax, we ask voting lawyers the same question, "If you could not handle a case yourself, to whom would you refer it?" Lawyers are asked to give nominees 5-1 numerical grades - 5 for a lawyer the voter would certainly refer a case to, 4 for a lawyer the voter would probably refer a case to, and 3 for a lawyer the voter might hesitate to refer a case to. Lawyers are allowed to give pluses or minuses in order to make their votes more precise.
Once all of the evaluations have been compiled, the letter grades are converted into numerical equivalents and then averaged. Eccentric votes - far better or far worse than the others - are excluded from this calculation. The numerical average required for inclusion varies according to the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area. In close cases, the editors make final decisions based both on comments that are made about a nominee during the polling process and on the grades of the voting lawyers (votes can be given more or less weight depending on the voter's own grades and on how closely that voter predicts the outcome for the other nominees in the specialty).
The American Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Dean Stowers has been selected for The American Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Membership into The American Trial Lawyers Association is limited to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers from each state.
Selection Process
Selection for The American Trial Lawyers Association is extended to civil plaintiff and criminal defense attorneys by special invitation. Candidates are considered for membership in The American Trial Lawyers Association based on superior qualifications, leadership, reputation, influence, stature, and profile in the Trial Lawyer community.
Litigation Counsel of America Fellow
Dean Stowers has been selected to be a Litigation Counsel of America Fellow, an invitation- only trial lawyer honorary society established to reflect the new face of the American bar. Membership is limited to 3,500 Fellows, representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers.
Selection Process
Fellows are selected and invited into Fellowship after being evaluated on effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation and trial work, along with ethical reputation. The number of Fellowships has been kept at an exclusive limit by design, allowing qualifications, diversityand inclusion to align effectively.
The LCA's selection process is a combination of Advisory Board member input, nominations by Fellows, attorney opinions, evaluation of client selection of counsel, limited input from active and retired judges, and reviews of acknowledgement by third party sources. The diversity sought by the LCA relates to all demographics within law, including race, sex, age and national origin, which it believes will enrich the profession, as well as the scholarly exchange of ideas among its membership. The criteria used for selection is not based purely on the number of cases tried, or the notoriety usually associated with frequent court appearances, but also effectiveness in the area of a particular lawyer's expertise. In using this approach, the LCA has developed its membership with a breadth of experience in litigation that makes its Fellows one of the most well rounded practice groups among any legal professional society and provides recognition and opportunities to those deserving the designation Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America .
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating AV
Dean Stowers has been rated AV by his professional peers through the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating system. This review reflects the confidential opinions of members of both the Judiciary and the Bar who are familiar with the lawyer's legal ability and adherence to the highest level of professional ethics. The "A" rating of "Very High to Preeminent" legal ability is a testament from peer legal professionals of the highest level of professional excellence and of unquestionable ethics.
An Explanation of the Peer Review Ratings Categories
There are two components to each Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating:
1. General Ethical Standards Rating The General Ethical Standards Rating of "V" (stands for "VERY HIGH") denotes adherence to the highest levels of adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.
2. Legal Ability Ratings Legal Ability Ratings take into consideration the standard of professional ability in the area where the lawyer practices, the lawyer's expertise, and other professional qualifications. If a lawyer's practice is limited or specialized, Peer Review Ratings are based on performance
in those specific fields of law.
Legal Ability Ratings are:
C - Good to High
B - High to Very High
A - Very High to Preeminent
When both categories of Peer Review Ratings are confirmed, a lawyer receives a CV, BV or AV Rating.
Selection Process
The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings evaluates lawyers in the United States and Canada based on the anonymous opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary, including both those who are rated and those who are not. The first review to establish a lawyer's rating usually occurs three years after his/her first admission to the Bar.
The majority of Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating reviews are initiated by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell through random selection of lawyers listed on martindale.com® and Lawyers.com SM , for instance on a geographic basis and in a specific area of practice. To be randomly selected by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell for a review, a lawyer must meet the eligibility requirements. If LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell receives information indicating that a lawyer's ethics or abilities are under question, LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell reserves the right to initiate a review.
Alternately, a lawyer may request a review by nominating his/her own peer references who have personal knowledge of his/her general ethics and legal ability in a specific area of practice. LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell then contacts the prospective reviewers and requests that he/she complete the secure online Peer Review evaluation. These references will be incorporated into the process along with other reviewers that are randomly selected by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell.
Peer reference nominees must be: lawyers or judges; from outside the lawyer's organization; and listed on martindale.com®. References must not consist of more than two lawyers from any one organization. A lawyer may submit peer references only once annually and there must be a minimum of 18 references. In order to ensure a credible process, LexisNexis
Martindale-Hubbell will include several randomly chosen reviewers in a similar area of practice and/or geographical location along with the submitted peer references.
The reviewers are members of the Bar and Judiciary (lawyers and judges) across multiple jurisdictions and geographic locations and are listed on martindale.com® and Lawyers.com SM . They are from similar areas of practice and/or industry as the lawyer being rated, who know or have worked with the lawyer under review and are able to rate them on their professional ethical standards and legal ability.