Directory methodology
What the lawyer directory shows—and what it does not
Togetherward separates objective checks from lawyer-supplied information, withholds profiles that are not current, and keeps paid placement outside organic order. This page makes those boundaries inspectable.
Last reviewed
Evidence ladder
Three labels, three different claims
Labels describe the source and review state of a field. They do not score the lawyer or predict whether the lawyer is right for a particular matter.
- 01Togetherward checked
- An objective source check supports the current bar admission shown on a published profile. The profile carries the date of that check. This label does not assess experience, quality, or fit.
- 02Declared by lawyer
- Practice focus, languages, and service regions are supplied by the lawyer. Togetherward publishes them as declarations rather than presenting them as independently checked facts.
- 03Unavailable
- The information is not published in the current profile. A missing value is not inferred to be favorable or unfavorable, and the directory does not fill the gap.
Publication boundary
Current or withheld
The directory resolves only the current submitted profile version with a current publication and objective bar check. A stale, source-changed, suspended, expired, or unpublished profile is withheld from public results until its independent currentness requirements are satisfied again.
Withholding is a safety state, not a negative judgment. Togetherward does not publish the reason as a profile claim, preserve an older public snapshot as though it were current, or turn missing information into a conclusion.
Organic directory order
A predictable navigation order
Organic results use policy 2026-08-12.v2. Filters help narrow published profiles; they do not create a recommendation.
- 01AvailabilityProfiles accepting inquiries appear before limited availability, followed by profiles not accepting inquiries or with unstated availability.
- 02Filter matchesWithin an availability group, profiles containing more of the visitor’s selected public filter values appear first. Those values can include declared profile fields and the checked bar jurisdiction.
- 03Display nameRemaining ties use the profile’s canonical display name.
- 04Profile addressThe stable public profile address resolves the final tie.
Organic order does not use subscription, sponsorship, payment, case content, private messages, browsing history, or complaint details.
Sponsored placement
Visibly separate from organic results
A paid placement appears in its own region with a persistent Sponsored label and a link back to this methodology. Sponsorship never changes organic order, field labels, objective checks, complaint handling, or publication requirements.
Delivery remains conditional on the profile and creative meeting their current public checks. Targeting is limited to at most one selected, approved public directory filter. It does not use protected case content, private messages, free-text searches, or prior browsing history.
Limits and corrections
A directory is a starting point
Listing, order, filtering, or sponsorship is not a recommendation or legal suitability determination. The directory does not establish an attorney-client relationship and does not promise response, availability, fit, or an outcome.
Review the public profile, ask the lawyer directly about your matter, and confirm the terms of any engagement before sharing sensitive information.
See something inaccurate? Report a correction. You can also review Togetherward’s privacy practices and security approach.