18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

Prototypical answer:

The purpose of the .LAWYER top-level domain is to offer licensed practitioners of the law an opportunity to present themselves on the Internet in a uniquely distinctive and memorable manner. At present, no .LAWYER TLD exists. Lawyers wanting to use a domain name to indicate their legal status as a licensed lawyer are unable to do that currently by their choice of any legacy top-level domain. Because registration and renewal in the .LAWYER TLD will require applicants and registrants to prove they are registered with the appropriate legal authority, (such as a State Bar Association or a Roll of Barristers, Solicitors and Attorneys) the .LAWYER TLD will serve as a means of identifying and authenticating registrants as duly licensed lawyers in their particular country or other legal jurisdiction. Internet users, particularly potential clients or others dealing with a .LAWYER registrant, will be able to have confidence they are dealing with an appropriately licensed lawyer.

As practitioners of the law, lawyers are called upon to interpret laws, protect legal rights, and uphold the rules by which societies organize themselves. The .LAWYER domain will allow duly licensed lawyers from numerous legal jurisdictions to properly associate themselves with the law and the legal services industry.

Only those lawyers who have passed legal subject matter exams or other criteria are authorized to practice law. Not every person who provides legal advice is a licensed lawyer or member of a legal bar association. This TLD offers that fundamental distinction to consumers by pre-qualifying all registrants as being duly licensed lawyers in a given jurisdiction.

We aim to offer all licensed lawyers the opportunity to advertise their legal services and related products and information on the Internet with the .LAWYER TLD acting as a badge or symbol identifying their special legal status as a licensed practitioner of the law. Use of a .LAWYER domain name will provide clear authentication, signaling that the domain owner is a practitioner duly licensed in their country or other legal jurisdiction.

In addition, the .LAWYER top-level domain provides lawyers with more choice in the domain name marketplace at competitive prices.

The goal of the .LAWYER top-level domain is to establish itself as the recognized, authoritative and preferred choice for licensed lawyer registrants who want to market and promote themselves and their websites to the Internet-using public for business, political, personal, legal or any other purpose, and, as the recognized and safe top-level domain name for consumers seeking licensed lawyers.

Similar gTLD applications: (1)