By understanding the most common sources of legal malpractice claims, attorneys can take proactive steps to address issues before claims arise. In addition, attorneys in practice areas with a high incidence of malpractice claims can remain especially vigilant and avoid some of the common pitfalls that lead to problems for attorneys in their practice area.

One of the resources for assisting attorneys in this regard is the American Bar Association Profile of Legal Malpractice Claims (the ABA Profile), which provides comprehensive data regarding legal malpractice claims, including the short and long-term trends with respect to such claims.