To the editor:

We have a Republican judge candidate in Brown County by the name of Tracey Yeager Stogsdill. On Tracey’s website for her candidacy it states that Tracey won an award while in private practice by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys “Ten Best Attorneys in Indiana” See TraceyStogsdillforJudge.com.

On Aug. 31, 2015, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) released an article titled “BBB Advises Consumers to Scrutinize Top Lawyer Awards.” In this article, they wrote that “Michelle Corey, BBB President and CEO, said consumers should look into any advertised awards carefully. ‘If an attorney is using an award to publicize himself or his firm, a prospective client has every right to ask questions,’ she said. ‘Who served on the selection committee? Did you pay money for the award? What criteria did the organization use in the selection process?’ If the attorney is unable to answer those questions, Corey said, he or she probably should not be using the award in advertising or on a website.”

The BBB also wrote, “American Institute Group … uses several other names including American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, American Institute of Bankruptcy Attorneys, American Institute of Elder Law Attorneys and American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys. American Institute Group was registered in the state of Hawaii in July 2014 and lists Cynthia Stanley of Honolulu as its only member. In a recent nomination letter, Stanley called American Institute of Family Law Attorneys an impartial third-party rating service ‘recognizing excellence of practitioners in the field.’ American Institute Group has not responded to a BBB request for information about the organization.”

The BBB further wrote that “American Institute Group requires a $275 administration fee, and says the award will be given to the ‘first alternate’ if payment is not received by a stated deadline.” (bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2015/08/bbb-advises-consumers-to-scrutinize-top-lawyer-awards)

Sincerely,

Sherrie Mitchell, Brown County