What Verdica's 796 score means for Daniel Shawn Pickels
Verdica's composite score of 796 places Daniel Shawn Pickels in the "strong" band (740–799), indicating a legal provider with a solid regulatory standing and low compliance risk. A score in this range reflects consistent adherence to bar requirements, minimal disciplinary history, and a practice profile that aligns with established norms in the jurisdiction.
For a business owner or individual considering legal services, a 796 score signals that this provider has cleared meaningful regulatory thresholds and does not present obvious red flags based on public disciplinary data. However, it falls short of the "excellent" band (800–850), which suggests there may be minor areas where performance or standing differs from top-tier metrics. Readers should interpret this as a provider with demonstrated competence and compliance rather than exceptional distinction within the regulator's framework.
How the sub-scores break down
Bar Standing (790): This sub-score reflects Pickels's current licensure status and active enrollment with the District of Columbia bar. A score of 790 is strong, indicating full good standing and no active licensing restrictions or suspensions. In practical terms, this means the provider is authorized to practice law in DC and has not triggered regulatory flags related to fitness to practice, though a score slightly below the maximum suggests minor deviations from perfect standing records (such as late compliance filings or administrative notes that do not rise to disciplinary action).
Disciplinary History (850): This is Pickels's strongest sub-score, at the ceiling of the scale. A perfect 850 indicates no sustained disciplinary complaints, sanctions, or adverse findings on record with the DC bar. This dimension tracks formal complaints, ethics violations, malpractice judgments reported to the bar, and any public discipline. A maximum score here represents a clean regulatory history—no findings of misconduct, no license suspensions, and no ethics violations that resulted in public censure or remedial requirements.
Practice Profile (700): This sub-score is the lowest of the three and sits at the lower boundary of the "acceptable" band (670–739). Practice profile typically measures consistency in reported practice areas, client volume data, years in practice, and adherence to continuing legal education or other maintenance requirements tracked by state bars. A 700 suggests that while Pickels meets minimum practice standards, there may be gaps in transparency around practice scope, frequency of reported activities, or compliance with administrative reporting obligations. This does not indicate misconduct but rather incomplete or variable information available to regulators.
What regulators in DC track for legal providers
The District of Columbia Bar, which oversees licensed attorneys in DC, maintains disciplinary records that Verdica indexes to assess compliance risk. These records track several categories: ethics complaints brought by clients or opposing counsel; findings of professional misconduct (including dishonesty, fraud, or violation of client confidentiality); sanctions (reprimand, suspension, or disbarment); and failure to comply with bar membership obligations (such as dues, CLE credits, or address reporting).
Practice history data includes bar registration records showing years licensed, declared practice areas, and any changes in status over time. Regulators also note administrative compliance metrics—whether a lawyer has responded timely to bar communications, maintained required trust account certifications, or completed mandated ethics training. Scores move downward when record-holders face complaints, ethics findings, or administrative failures, and upward when records show consistency and clean standing over time. The weighting reflects that disciplinary findings carry higher significance than practice profile gaps, which explains why Pickels's perfect disciplinary score anchors confidence in this profile despite the lower practice profile metric.
Bottom line
A 796 score indicates Daniel Shawn Pickels is a compliant, low-risk legal provider with no disciplinary history and current good standing in DC. Before engaging, verify that his practice profile aligns with your specific needs, since the practice dimension scored lower, and independently confirm his licensing status and specific expertise through the DC Bar website or direct consultation.