The Importance of Choosing a Divorce Attorney
If you or your spouse are considering divorce, then it goes without saying that your choice of attorneys will play an important role in the process of ending your marriage.  In fact, the lawyers that both of you choose can profoundly impact your finances, your long-term relationship with your former spouse, and even the health and well-being of your children if you have any.  It's not a decision to make lightly.

Just as there are good doctors and bad, good chefs and mediocre ones, there is also a broad spectrum of attorney competencies, professionalism, ethics, and morals.  How do you know which ones will do their job and end your marriage in as non-confrontational, professional, and least costly way possible?

You certainly need to consider more than a lawyer's home page when deciding whether or not they are the right choice for you.

For example, consider Deborah Sandlin of the Sandlin Family Law Group in Raleigh, NC.  Her website has positive reviews from customers and says that she graduated summa cum laude from her law school.  Good choice of attorney?  Consider the following information then you decide.

Note:  All information presented on this site is publicly available and is unaltered here except to redact sensitive personal information.  All information on this site is factual and is presented without comment or opinion so that readers and prospective clients of Ms. Sandlin may make informed decisions regarding their choice of attorney. 

DWI
On September 9, 2007, Ms. Sandlin was arrested for Driving While Impaired.  She  pleaded guilty to a Level 5 DWI.

This is a certified true copy from file number 07CR64188 in the Wake County Justice Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

At the time of her arrest, Ms. Sandlin's Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) was .13%.  In NC, a person is legally impaired if they have a BAC of .08 or higher.  Source.

The below chart from the Department of Transportation shows the distribution of Blood Alcohol Levels for drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2013.  0.13% is within the peak range of the curve.

Ms. Sandlin was forced to surrender her driver's license.

She hired a prominent DWI attorney, Russel Dement, Jr. to represent her.

Ultimately, Ms. Sandlin was placed on probation.  The terms of her probation included 24 hours of community service (she opted to pay $200); not to possess, use, or control any illegal drug or controlled substance unless prescribed by a physician; not to associate with any previously convicted users, possessors, or sellers of controlled substances; and to submit to breath, blood, chemical or physical tests including urinalysis if requested by an officer of the law.

In spite of her 2007 DWI and her driving around with an incredible .13% Blood Alcohol level, Ms. Sandlin remains a licensed attorney and motor vehicle operator today.  Caveat emptor.

Quality of Ms. Sandlin's Legal Education
In her bio, Deborah Sandlin notes with pride that she graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina Central University Law School.

Law Schools are ranked annually and divided into four tiers.  Tier One schools are considered the best in the nation, Tier four schools the worst.

North Carolina Central University Law School, where Ms. Sandlin received her legal education, is a Tier Four Law School.  It's literally one of the worst law schools in the nation.

Here is what Outside the Law School Scam, a website dedicated to helping prospective law students find the right school, has to say about Tier Four Law Schools:

"Here are the tiers as I see them: 1) The T-13.  2) The Traps. 3) The No-Names. 4) Joke Schools. The purpose of this blog post is to encourage those who cannot be dissuaded from law school, and are in the process of choosing where to enroll, to opt for a big scholarship at a No-Name over paying full or nearly full freight at a Trap. But do NOT go to a Joke School, even for free."

The website startclass gives North Carolina Central University School of Law a "Smart Rank" of #167.  That is out of 207 total law schools in the country.

And finally, Third Tier Reality, another blog about law schools for prospective students, had this to say about North Carolina Central University Law School in particular:

"Conclusion: Avoid this pile of rotting waste, if you do not have OUTSTANDING family, business or political connections after graduating from college. In the final analysis, you will not be served well by incurring an additional $80K-$120K in NON-DISCHARGEABLE debt, for a TTTT law degree. Legal employers care about the caliber – or name brand – of an applicant’s alma mater."

If Law Firms and other lawyers care so much about the caliber of an attorney's legal education, shouldn't you?

Summary
Deborah Sandlin attended one of the worst law schools in the country.
If you choose Ms. Sandlin to represent you in divorce, your spouse may well hire an attorney who graduated from a Tier 1 school such as UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, or Wake Forest.  Who do you think will win in that scenario?

Ms. Sandlin was convicted of Driving While Impaired.
According to madd, "About one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders."  Regardless of whether or not Deborah is still drinking and driving, the question is whether you trust someone who was arrested with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .13% to exercise the judgement in their professional life they apparently lack in their personal life. 

If you go to court, you need someone who has self-discipline, the ability to think calmly and rationally under pressure, who respects the law, and who is respected within their professional ranks.

Now that you know the facts, do you believe that Ms. Sandlin is that person? 


Beyond the Corporate Bio
Another great resource for finding out what an attorney is really like is their public-facing social media posts.

The following are links to recent photos from Ms. Sandlin's publicly accessible Facebook page.

Note:  As of July 24, 2016, Ms. Sandlin has not only removed the images showing cocktails and drinking behavior from her Facebook page, but she has also changed the permissions for most photos, most likely in response to this blog.

Cocktails

"Selfie" of Ms. Sandlin on a recent trip to Iceland

More cocktails

Ms. Sandlin in Iceland

Raising a toast

A Christmas Ornament that reads, "Love the WINE you're with"

Another "selfie" in Iceland

Photo of Ms. Sandlin holding up a pair of pajamas with the crotch area torn out.  Caption reads, "My favorite pjs no longer usable thanks to Eli and Layla."

Ms. Sandlin at home with her cat

Drunk Driving

Every day in the United States, 27 people are killed by drunk drivers.  In 2013, drunk drivers killed 10,076 people and injured approximately 290,000.  Please support madd's efforts to eliminate this completely preventible threat to public safety and donate using the link below.

Donate to Mothers Against Drunk Driving