What Is The LawGuru BBS?

Every month this web site receives thousands of legal questions. Years ago, we spent several months trying to figure out a way to efficiently distribute these questions, which potentially could lead to new business, to other attorneys. The result is this LawGuru.com BBS, which is the first step towards the "virtual law firm" of the future and a repository of tens of thousands of past legal questions and answers available to the public.

In short this BBS allows users to post legal questions and helps attorneys, who are part of the free "attorney network", answer those questions through a custom web based interface. Back to top

How does the BBS work?

Users are able to search our BBS's legal question and answer database (made up of past questions and answers and automatically growing every day) in a variety of legal subjects. If a user is unable to find an answer they can use the BBS to ask a question. Questions that are submitted, are stripped of any identifying information about the user (such as name, phone, address, email, etc.). Once the question is posted, attorneys who are part of the free "attorney network", are in the same state as the person asking a question and handle the type of cases the question relates to, receive automatic email notification that a new question was posted. Attorneys can then directly "jump" to the question's URL (on the BBS) from their browser and use the BBS's tools for attorneys to answer or otherwise handle the new question (or any other previous question).

When an answer to a question is posted the user is notified (via e-mail) of where (what web address/URL on the BBS) to find the answer. Users can then read the answer(s) and directly contact the attorney(s) who answered their question. Each answer to a question by any attorney, will have that attorney's information (i.e. name, address, phone number, e-mail etc.) automatically attached to the answer and to the e-mail reply notification. The user will also be able to click on a link at the end of any answer and find out more information about that attorney, from a specially generated attorney profile page each attorney has. Each attorney can control what information is shown on that attorney's profile page, including a customized "blurb" written by each attorney. Basically, each attorney also gets "free web space" on our BBS server.

Everyone benefits in this situation. We benefit by getting more traffic at our site, the attorney is the network benefits by getting more and more "exposure" whenever a question is answered by that attorney and his / her name is attached as the "author" of the answer, and most importantly the user of the site wins by hopefully finding or getting an answer to their legal question. Back to top

How are questions distributed?

Questions are distributed to all attorneys whose profile matches a particular question. For example if a question deals with New York personal injury law, all attorneys on the BBS who are in New York (or have an office in New York) and who selected "Personal Injury Law" in their profile, would get notified (via e-mail) about the question. The e-mail notification, will also have the URL of the question, so that you can jump directly to it. Please note that certain types of questions dealing with federal law (i.e. BK, ADA, FMLA etc.) are distributed to attorneys in other states who practice that type of law, regardless of the setting in the profile (i.e. "not receive out of state questions"). This is done since these types of questions are generally not state law specific and give those questions a better chance of receiving a reply. Back to top

What do I get for joining the "attorney network"?

You will get the ability to participate in this attorney network and be able to answer questions from all over the country. The BBS can also serve as one other way to "do business" on the web. Today you see many services that ask you to pay an exorbitant fee to simply be listed. The LawGuru.com BBS gives attorneys the opportunity to be on a very high traffic legal web site that attracts people with legal questions by having something of value to offer for free and not simply a listing of attorneys who pay to be on. Back to top

Do I have to answer every question I receive?
No, there is no requirement for attorneys to answer any questions. Being a part of the network does not necessarily mean that you also have to answer any question. However, we encourage you to try to answer the questions that you want to answer. Furthermore, by answering questions, they will be added to the database and will be available for others to see. As you know, each answer also has a tag with your name and contact information and would thus serve as an additional method for "promoting" yourself and your practice. Back to top