What Verdica's 796 score means for Samantha R. Valenzuela
Samantha R. Valenzuela's composite score of 796 out of 850 places her in the "strong" band (740–799), indicating solid compliance standing and professional conduct based on available regulatory data. This score reflects a track record free of significant disciplinary action and acceptable practice patterns as tracked by Connecticut's bar authority.
A score in this range suggests that a legal provider operates within regulatory expectations and has not accumulated red flags in the areas Verdica monitors. For a business owner or consumer evaluating a legal provider, a 796 score is a meaningful signal of stability—it's higher than "acceptable" but stops short of the "excellent" (800–850) category, which is reserved for providers with zero disciplinary history and exceptionally strong practice profiles.
The gap between Valenzuela's score (796) and the top of the scale reflects a Practice Profile sub-score of 700, which is the main constraint. This suggests her professional activity or specialization profile may differ from providers scoring higher, or that limited data is available about her practice scope. This does not indicate misconduct; rather, it points to a dimension where additional information or broader practice documentation could strengthen the overall assessment.
For practical purposes, a 796 score means this provider has met baseline compliance requirements and has not triggered disciplinary concerns serious enough to warrant caution. Anyone considering engagement should feel reasonably confident from a regulatory compliance perspective, though—as with any professional—independent verification of specific credentials, references, and fit for your legal needs remains prudent.
How the sub-scores break down
Bar Standing (790/850): This sub-score reflects whether a provider is in good standing with the Connecticut bar and free from license suspensions, revocations, or probationary status. A 790 indicates solid standing. Minor point deductions at this level sometimes reflect administrative or renewal-related matters rather than substantive misconduct. This score suggests Valenzuela maintains active, compliant bar membership without major licensing issues.
Disciplinary History (850/850): A perfect score on this dimension means no recorded disciplinary actions are indexed in Connecticut's bar records. This is a straightforward measure: the state bar publishes decisions on complaints, sanctions, and ethics violations. A perfect 850 is a strong positive signal and indicates Valenzuela has not faced public discipline related to professional conduct, competence, or trustworthiness.
Practice Profile (700/850): This sub-score is based on available information about practice scope, specializations, client types, and activity patterns drawn from bar records and public filings. A 700 is in the acceptable-to-strong range but is the lowest of Valenzuela's three dimensions. This could reflect limited public visibility in certain practice areas, a specialized or narrow practice focus, or simply that indexed data is less complete for this provider. It does not indicate poor performance, but rather represents an area where less corroborating information is available to Verdica's system.
What regulators in CT track for legal providers
Connecticut's bar authority maintains disciplinary records documenting complaints, investigations, and sanctions against licensed attorneys. These records are public and include matters involving ethical violations (misrepresentation, conflicts of interest, neglect), competence issues, client trust account mismanagement, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Bar regulators also track licensing status—whether a provider is active, inactive, suspended, or disbarred—and any conditions imposed (probation, mandatory continuing education, etc.). Verdica indexes this data to calculate Bar Standing scores.
Practice history draws from bar registration data, public court records, and self-reported information. This includes specialization claims, client base indicators, and tenure. Regulators use this data to ensure transparency about who is practicing and in what capacity. Scores in this dimension reflect the breadth and clarity of available practice documentation.
Infractions that typically lower scores include disciplinary actions for billing fraud, abandonment of clients, failure to communicate, misrepresentation of qualifications, and ethics violations. A clean record—as indicated by Valenzuela's perfect Disciplinary History score—means no such actions appear in the public record.
Bottom line
Samantha R. Valenzuela's 796 score indicates a compliant, established legal provider with no significant disciplinary history and solid bar standing. Before engagement, verify her specific expertise matches your legal need, check references, and confirm her current availability and practice focus.