Avvo.com is an expert-only Q&A forum where people can ask legal and health questions of lawyers and doctors, for free.[1] The Q&A forum is backed by an online directory of doctors and lawyers licensed in the United States. Avvo provides listings to which doctors and attorneys can submit their own profiles and histories. The listings may also include patient and client reviews, disciplinary actions, and peer endorsements.
Launched in 2007, Avvo has developed a rating scale for doctors and lawyers based upon a proprietary algorithm. The ratings system was widely criticized for inaccuracy and inconsistency.[2] A lawsuit filed against the company alleged it was a "scam" and libelous. The suit was dismissed on the basis that the ratings were an opinion protected by the First Amendment right of free speech.[3]
The website also includes lawyer-submitted legal guides, doctor-submitted health guides, and a forum to ask medical and legal questions from doctors and lawyers.
| Type | Medical & Legal Search |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Seattle, United States |
| Website | http://www.avvo.com |
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Avvo was founded in Seattle, Washington in 2007 by Mark Britton, a former legal counsel for Expedia.com. Britton said he developed the idea while vacationing in Italy with Rich Barton, the founder of the real-estate database Zillow.com. Avvo was derived from “avvocato”, the Italian word for lawyer.[4]
The company was initially financed with venture capital of $13 million from Benchmark Capital and Ignition Partners.[4] As of 2010, Avvo had received $23 million in financing.[5]
Avvo generates revenue by selling advertising and other services primarily to lawyers.[3]
The doctor directory launched on November 1, 2010.[6] Avvo has a full directory for 10 states and partial listings for the remaining 40.[7]
According to the website, the directory includes more than 90% of licensed attorneys in the United States.[8] Avvo lawyer profiles are aggregated from public records provided by state bars and additional attorney licensing entities.
As of November 2, 2009, Avvo covers Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin; and has partial coverage in limited release states including Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and Wyoming.[9]
On June 14, 2007, nine days after Avvo’s launch, a lawsuit was filed against the website by Seattle attorneys, John Henry Browne and Alan Wenokur. The suit alleged that Avvo's rating system made false claims of being factual and was therefore deceptive, libelous and violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act.[10] United States District Court Judge Robert Lasnik ruled that the rating system was only an opinion thus protected by the First Amendment right of free speech.[11] The judge wrote, "Neither the nature of the information provided nor the language used on the Web site would lead a reasonable person to believe that the ratings are a statement of actual fact." The judge further opined that an arguably similar rating systems was "nonsense."[11]
After the ruling, a Wall Street Journal editorial endorsed the website for providing "at least some measure of transparency" of the legal profession.[12]