Find the best lawyer you can find. And sometimes you can talk to coworkers but there are a number of things you can look at to determine if someone’s the right type of lawyer for you. First of all, look for a lawyer and a lawyer firm that has experience in railroad law. Railroad law is very specialized. There are specialized terms, there’s jargon, all kinds of words that railroaders know that the rest of the public do not know. And if your lawyer doesn’t understand the railroad rules, the procedures then he or she can’t represent you correctly.

Secondly, there are ways to find out what type lawyer you have not only based on their experience but there are certifications that lawyers can get just like doctors. There’s board certification where a specialty board, like in the state of Minnesota we have a specialty board that can certify a lawyer as a civil trail specialist. Nationally there’s also a national board can do that. It’s like doctors that have specialties and board certification in orthopedic surgery.

Get the best you can. It’s your case, it’s your future, it’s your job. You want someone with good experience.