What Verdica's 796 score means for Samantha R. Valenzuela
Samantha R. Valenzuela's composite score of 796 out of 850 places her in Verdica's "strong" band (740–799), indicating a legal provider with solid regulatory standing and a clean disciplinary record. This score reflects data aggregated from Delaware state bar records and practice history, two of the primary sources regulators use to assess attorney compliance and professional fitness.
A score in this range suggests that Verdica's underlying data has not flagged material concerns about licensing status, serious disciplinary violations, or significant gaps in practice documentation. For a business owner or consumer evaluating a legal provider, a 796 score signals low compliance risk—though not quite at the "excellent" threshold (800–850), which denotes near-perfect regulatory standing. The gap between 796 and the maximum reflects room for marginal improvement in one or more sub-categories, but does not indicate an active problem.
No independent customer reviews have been indexed yet for this entity, so the score rests entirely on regulatory data. This means the evaluation is based on formal bar records, not client experiences or reputation signals.
How the sub-scores break down
Bar Standing (790 / 850): This sub-score reflects Valenzuela's current licensing status, admission history, and compliance with bar enrollment requirements in Delaware. A score of 790 indicates the attorney meets core regulatory thresholds for practice authorization. Scores in this range typically mean no active suspensions, disbarments, or pending license revocations. Minor administrative gaps—such as late continuing legal education (CLE) reporting, address updates, or fee payment delays—can lower bar standing scores slightly without triggering disciplinary action.
Disciplinary History (850 / 850): This is the strongest sub-score. A perfect 850 reflects an absence of substantiated disciplinary complaints, bar counsel investigations, or sanctions recorded in Delaware's public disciplinary database. In the legal industry, a clean disciplinary record is the baseline expectation for trustworthiness; a perfect score here confirms no documented violations related to competence, ethics, client trust account mismanagement, or misconduct.
Practice Profile (700 / 850): This sub-score is the lowest of the three, sitting in the acceptable to strong boundary. Practice profile typically measures factors such as years in practice, documented areas of specialization, compliance with advertising and fee disclosure rules, and history of professional liability claims or malpractice records flagged in public sources. A score of 700 suggests Valenzuela's practice profile is sound but may lack certain credentials, certifications, or other signals that would push the score higher. This could reflect a newer practice, limited public documentation of specializations, or other factors that registries track but do not necessarily constitute compliance violations.
What regulators in DE track for legal providers
Delaware's bar disciplinary system, overseen by the Delaware Supreme Court, maintains public records of attorney complaints, investigations, and sanctions. Regulators track violations including breach of fiduciary duty, failure to communicate with clients, misappropriation of funds, dishonesty, and incompetence. Licensing requirements include active bar membership, proof of malpractice insurance, and ongoing CLE credits.
Verdica's practice history data source captures admitted practice areas, years of bar membership, any public records of prior bar proceedings, and patterns of compliance or non-compliance with continuing education and fee disclosure regulations. Infractions that move scores downward include confirmed disciplinary actions, license restrictions, inactive status, or evidence of unresolved complaints. Scores move upward with tenure, clear disciplinary records, and complete compliance documentation.
Bottom line
Valenzuela presents a low-compliance-risk profile suitable for most business or legal service engagements. Her excellent disciplinary history and solid bar standing are the primary confidence signals. Anyone considering retaining her should verify her specific areas of practice alignment with their needs and, where relevant, cross-check her malpractice insurance status and any client references directly.