The Civil Rights movement was less a struggle about race and more of a struggle about forcing decency between fellow human beings. The civil rights movement was taking shape for years, but it really came to the fore front during the year 1955. This is the year that both Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, as well as Emmitt Till being hung in the south for whistling at a white woman. The outrage and fury of these two separate incidents led to boycotts and also led to the civil rights movement being brought to view nationwide by the power of television.

The movement was important because for the United States of America to be able to proclaim itself a great nation and a truly free nation, all of it’s citizens had to have equal rights. The experiment known as separate but equal proved to be a failure. To truly have equal rights that were supposed to be afforded to all Americans, a person had to have equal access to all privileges. There was no way that there was enough money and resources to build everything truly equal, but used for only one race of human beings. To fix this error a new set of leaders emerged from both the church and the political body. From Martin Luther King Jr to President Lyndon B. Johnson who signed the Civil Rights act of 1968, them plus many more heroes led the way to fight against the injustice that had stood for too long and needed to be knocked down.

Family, friends and business acquaintances are all excellent places to start your lawyer search. Why is this, you may ask? Talk to friends and family. Chances are good that someone you know has used a lawyer or knows someone who has. Ask friends and family who they used and about their experience. Were they satisfied with the service they were provided? Ask for specifics about why they did – or did not- feel their lawyer provided good service. Find out if the lawyer returned telephone calls or emails in a timely manner, whether the case was pursued and completed in a reasonable time, whether the lawyer listened to requests and concerns, whether the person was kept informed about the status of his or her case, whether fees charged were fair and bills detailed enough to know what legal work was completed on the case.

Referral Services. There are a number of referral services in Texas. The State Bar of Texas provides a list of referral services around the state. Referral services require lawyers to register and generally require lawyer members to carry malpractice insurance. In the Austin and central Texas area, contact the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas. Referral services often also set a limit on the fee charged for an initial consultation. The Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas requires its member lawyers to provide a 30 minute consultation for $20.

Courthouse. Go watch lawyers in action. In family law matters, divorce, child visitation, child support, etc., you can find hearings going on at the Travis County Civil Courthouse on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Except in rare circumstances, court proceedings are open to the public. Locate a hearing to watch by asking at the information desk or check the directory of courtrooms and investigate until you find a hearing to watch. You may enter and leave a courtroom while proceedings are ongoing, but remember to be respectful and quiet. Turn off cell phones and pagers and do not bring food or drinks into the courtroom. It also advisable to not bring your children. Some of the issues in these cases may not be appropriate for children, who likely should be in school in any event, and children may have a difficult time sitting still and quiet during proceedings.

Interview potential lawyers. Many lawyers offer an initial consultation free or for a small fee. You may only have 30 minutes for an initial consultation so prepare before you go. If there are any orders in place, bring those with you to the consultation. Be prepared to open the consultation with a concise description of your situation and outcome you seek. Make a list of questions and concerns so you don’t forget to raise them during the meeting.

Ask about legal fees – does the attorney charge by the hour or provide services for a flat fee? Will you need to provide an upfront retainer or deposit. If so, how much? What happens to that retainer or deposit at the end of the case? Will it be returned to you? How often will you be billed? What types of expenses will you be charged for? Does the lawyer accept credit cards or offer a payment plan? What happens if you get behind on your bill?

Ask about lawyer accessibility and communications – does the lawyer have a policy about the length of time it takes to return calls or respond to emails? Does the lawyer use email in his or her practice at all? Will you be able to reach the lawyer via cell phone? How will the lawyer keep you informed about the status of your case? I give my client’s my cell phone number for use during business hours and make every effort to return calls or reply to emails same day, or the next day. Sometimes that means I call clients at 7pm or respond to an email at 10pm but I have never had a client unhappy to be contacted after hours.

Ask about the process and timing – based on your circumstances, what does the lawyer advise be done and what is the process? How long will it take. It is important to have a realistic understanding of how long the process will take. Unfortunately, legal proceedings sometimes take months, or longer, to resolve depending on the issues.

Ask about experience and qualifications – does the lawyer have experience with your type of case? How long has the lawyer been practicing? Does the lawyer have any specialized training or certification?

Don’t feel pressured to hire the attorney during the initial consultation. Take a few days to think about the meeting, and interview other attorneys. Once you decide on an attorney you will set up another appointment to sign a representation agreement and take care of any retainer or deposit requirements. The representation agreement is the contract between you and your attorney. Read it carefully and ask the lawyer to explain anything you do not understand.

Al Rowaad Advocate is duly licensed to perform legal services and advocacy in the U.A.E., with an office in Dubai.They serve and represent both local and expatriate company and individual clients.Their strong practice areas are labor, corporate & commercial, private equity, banking, maritime & transport, litigation & arbitration and real estate.Their team of lawyers, advisors and administrative staff collaborate with a single goal: the success of our clients. Their lawyers are known for the clarity, timeliness and effectiveness of counsel, and as a result have become their clients’ call of first resort for solutions to their toughest legal challenges.Al Rowaad Advocates & Legal Consultancy has been honored to represent the following clients: Emirates NBD Bank, Shell Petrol Company and Middlesex University.