When Selecting an Attorney, Does Geography Count Anymore?

I was recently interviewed by The Northern Express Magazine who did an article titled “Internet Law.”  One of the interesting quotes that found its way into the article is as follows:

“It used to be that clients felt secure having an attorney who lived down the block,” Schaefer says. “Now, they feel secure having an attorney who’s written an article about their problem, no matter where he or she is from... The reality is that clients want answers, not lawyer-speak or disclaimers. They want business solutions and to real advice about how to proceed.”

Rereading the article got me thinking.  How important should geography be to clients in the internet era?  Even if you have an issue which going to wind up in a local courthouse, our clients better off finding the best attorney for the job rather than an attorney who happens to be local? And if it’s a matter that doesn’t require you to be in court, aren’t you better off simply finding the best attorney in the country to handle your issue?

No doubt, some issues which involve state law require expertise in that area of state law.  But the barriers to regional, statewide and federal practice continue to dissolve in the internet era. 

I can’t get around this simple fact.  If I’m a client and I have a specific legal issue, I want the lawyer who wrote an article on my specific issue to handle my case.  I don’t care where they’re located or how far away they may be.  I go into that attorney-client relationship knowing that my lawyer has already handled my issue before and is enough of an expert to write an article or blog post about it.

What do you think?