What Verdica's 796 score means for Craig Shirley
A composite score of 796 places Craig Shirley in the "strong" band (740–799), indicating a legal provider with solid compliance standing and professional track record. This score reflects data drawn from state bar disciplinary records and practice history—the primary regulatory touchpoints that track attorney conduct and licensing status.
What this means in practical terms: Verdica's analysis found no significant red flags in the disciplinary history sub-score (850/850, the highest possible) and clean bar standing (790/850). The practice profile score of 700/850 is the lowest of the three dimensions, which may reflect limited indexed information about practice scope, specialization, or client-facing history rather than a compliance concern. Overall, a 796 suggests an attorney operating within regulatory expectations without notable enforcement actions or licensing restrictions on record.
Readers should interpret this as a "proceed with standard diligence" signal. The score is not in the "excellent" band (800–850)—a gap that could indicate newer practice, limited public information, or a narrower scope of indexed data—but it is well above the "acceptable" threshold (670–739). This is a provider where regulatory compliance appears intact, but it's still prudent to verify credentials, scope of practice, and references directly before engagement.
How the sub-scores break down
Bar Standing (790/850): This reflects current licensing status and any history of suspension, revocation, or active restrictions. A score of 790 indicates Craig Shirley holds an active bar license with no material encumbrances. The slight gap from a perfect 850 may signal older minor matters now resolved, a licensing gap or reinstatement in the past, or incomplete indexing of administrative history. It is not a warning sign; it simply means the record is not entirely uncluttered.
Disciplinary History (850/850): This is a perfect score, indicating no record of formal disciplinary action, complaints upheld by the bar association, or sanctions. In the legal industry, disciplinary records are the gold standard for evaluating trustworthiness because they track violations of professional conduct rules—misappropriation of funds, dishonesty, neglect, conflicts of interest, and similar serious matters. A perfect score here means Verdica's search found no such history.
Practice Profile (700/850): This sub-score aggregates indexed information about practice areas, experience level, client types, and public visibility. A 700 is "acceptable" but mid-range. This could indicate a solo practice with limited public footprint, a practice focused on niche areas with fewer indexed sources, or simply incomplete data collection. It does not imply poor service quality—only that less information is publicly available to verify scope and specialization.
What regulators in DC track for legal providers
The District of Columbia Bar (the primary regulator for attorneys in DC) maintains a disciplinary system that tracks complaints, investigations, and sanctions. Verdica indexes this data to flag serious violations: theft or misappropriation, dishonesty in dealing with clients or courts, gross negligence, conflicts of interest, and breach of confidentiality.
Regulators also monitor bar membership status—whether an attorney is in good standing, suspended, disbarred, or inactive. Practice history captures authorized practice areas, license history (reinstatement, transfers, dual admissions), and continuing legal education compliance.
Scores move based on the presence or absence of these enforcement actions. An attorney with no disciplinary history and clean bar standing will score high on those dimensions. A practice profile score can be limited by sparse public information, which is common for solo practitioners or those with limited online presence.
Bottom line
Craig Shirley's score of 796 reflects solid regulatory compliance with no disciplinary record and active bar standing. Before engaging, confirm areas of practice directly, request references, and verify fee structures—standard steps for any legal provider, but especially important when indexed public information is limited.