Editor, Smithfield Times

A colonel wrote a letter last week about Jennifer Stanton in which he really piled on the praise. Being a college buddy of her husband’s and a longtime friend of the Stantons, I would expect nothing less. However, one of his lavish praises cannot go unaddressed. The colonel wrote that Mrs. Stanton is no less than “one of the top lawyers in the nation.”

Much has been made by Mrs. Stanton about her “battle tested” trial experience and her skill as a litigator. As the leading peer review publication for lawyers in the U.S. for the last 75 years, Martindale-Hubbell asks lawyers to evaluate their colleagues in private practice based on things such as legal knowledge, judgment and experience. The results are reduced to a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being “Preeminent,” 4 being “Distinguished,” and anything less than 3 being “of General Ethical Standing.”

A search of the listing on the website indicates that every attorney in Isle of Wight that has been ranked by the publication scores a 4.4 or higher. Mrs. Stanton is not even ranked in Isle of Wight. She returns a 2.9 rating in a search of Norfolk lawyers. That’s a far cry from one of the “top lawyers in the nation” and offers insight into her abilities as viewed by her colleagues.

Where is Georgette Phillips ranked? There is no ranking for her in the publication because Martindale focuses on attorneys in private practice, not career prosecutors. There has certainly been a “peer review” of Georgette, which resulted in the unanimous endorsement of the Isle of Wight Bar, the support of Commonwealth’s Attorneys in surrounding jurisdictions, the support of the clerks of court and the overwhelming support of law enforcement.

As an Isle of Wight attorney, I recommend Phillips for Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Ashby Pope
Isle of Wight