How to Claim and Optimize Your Avvo Profile

Avvo is the most consumer-recognized legal directory in the United States, and it holds a distinction that surprises many attorneys: your profile almost certainly already exists. Avvo automatically creates profiles for the vast majority of licensed U.S. attorneys using public bar records, court data, and other public sources — and assigns each one an Avvo Rating from 1 to 10. That rating is live and visible to prospective clients right now, whether you've ever logged in or not.

An unclaimed profile typically shows a lower rating (incomplete data caps the score), outdated contact information, and a note that the attorney hasn't claimed it — none of which builds confidence with someone deciding whom to call. Claiming is free, takes about 30 minutes to do properly, and is one of the highest-leverage half-hours in legal marketing.

Avvo is part of Internet Brands' Martindale-Avvo network, alongside Martindale-Hubbell, Nolo, Lawyers.com — and, as of late 2024, FindLaw.

Step 1: Find out whether you already have a profile

Go to avvo.com and search your name and state. In almost all cases you'll find an auto-generated profile. If one exists, you'll claim it (Step 2). In the rare case none exists — recently admitted attorneys, mostly — use Avvo's "add your lawyer profile" flow, where you enter your state bar license information; once Avvo confirms your license status, your profile is added to the directory.

Step 2: Claim and verify

1. On your profile, select the claim option (Avvo's lawyer pages label this "Claim your profile").
2. Create an Avvo account or sign in.
3. Verify your identity as a licensed attorney using your state bar license details. Avvo may call the phone number your bar association has on file to confirm — so make sure your bar records are current first.
4. Once verified, you have full editing control.

Step 3: Complete every field (this literally raises your rating)

The Avvo Rating is calculated from your profile data and public records. It can't be bought — advertising and paid products have no effect on it — but it responds directly to completeness. Work through all of it:

1. Professional headshot. Avvo's own data shows attorneys with a photo receive dramatically more client contacts than those without. Use a real headshot, not a logo or a cropped group photo.
2. Practice areas with accurate percentage allocations.
3. Bar admissions, courts, education, and work history — verify what Avvo pulled from public records and correct any errors.
4. Awards, publications, speaking engagements, and bar association activity. These feed the rating algorithm.
5. Contact information — your canonical firm name, address, and phone, matching your website and Google Business Profile exactly, down to suite abbreviations.

Step 4: Peer endorsements and client reviews

Endorsements from other attorneys who have claimed their own profiles factor into your rating — aim for five to ten from lawyers who genuinely know your work (co-counsel, opposing counsel, referral partners). Client reviews don't move the numeric rating, but they heavily influence whether a prospect actually contacts you. Build a habit of sending satisfied clients a direct link to your Avvo review form after matters close.

Adding your website: the one catch

Here's the part most guides gloss over: Avvo's free profile does not display a clickable link to your firm's website. Website link display is reserved for Avvo's paid advertising tiers. Everything else — contact details, address, phone, credentials, reviews — is free.

What this means in practice:

1. Complete the free profile fully anyway. It's still a high-authority citation, your phone number and address are displayed, and clients routinely search your firm name after finding you on Avvo.
2. Treat the paid upgrade as an advertising decision, not an SEO necessity. Evaluate it on whether directory-sourced leads convert in your market, not on the link alone.
3. Make sure your firm name on Avvo exactly matches your website's, so the "search my name" path works flawlessly.

Maintenance

Recheck your Avvo profile whenever your address, phone, or attorney roster changes, and at least annually. Avvo continues pulling public data over time, so occasionally verify nothing incorrect has been appended.

FAQ

Is claiming my Avvo profile really free? Yes. Claiming, completing, and maintaining the core profile — photo, credentials, practice areas, endorsements, reviews — costs nothing. Paid products affect visibility and website link display, never the rating.

Can I remove my Avvo profile? Generally no — profiles are built from public records. The practical move is to claim it and control what it says.

My Avvo Rating seems low. Why? Most often because the profile is unclaimed or sparse. The algorithm can only score the data it has. Claim it, complete every section, and add endorsements; ratings typically respond.

Related reading

• The Law Firm Directory Setup Guides
• Martindale-Hubbell Profile Setup Guide
• Client Reviews for Law Firms

LexGrow handles directory claiming and optimization for law firms as part of onboarding — logins handed to you, every listing verified. Book a call.