- In practice
- 36 years
- Languages
- English, Portuguese, Russian
- Reviews
- 4.9 (16)
- Last verified
- 5 Jul 2026
About
Samuel Kaplan has practised law for 36 years, focusing on family, criminal defense matters in Houston. They represent individuals and small businesses as part of Merritt & Calder LLP. Handles matters from first consultation through trial and appeal. This is a fictional demo profile.
Rankings
Score ledger
Criminal Defense in Houston · ranking v1.0.0Each row shows the component score (0–100), its weight and the points it adds. Open a row to see the records it is based on.
Credentials80 × 20%
1 verified active licence(s).
- Texas licence — verified
- 2 verified qualification(s)
- Identity and practice verified
Relevant experience79 × 15%
12 years practising in this area.
- Relevant years counted: 12
Specialization70 × 15%
Secondary practice area; practises in 2 area(s) in total.
- Practice areas: 2
Verified reputation70 × 15%
16 review(s) from 2 source(s), 3.509 effective after recency, verification and authority weighting. Adjusted rating 3.82/5.
- Source #4: 0.831 effective reviews
- Source #3: 2.678 effective reviews
Professional recognition28 × 10%
2 recognition(s); weighted value 0.495.
- Northbridge Peer Review — Leading Practitioner (2023)
- Family Law Fellowship (2020)
Relevant track record28 × 10%
1 sourced matter(s); weighted value 1.
- Suppression motion granted (demo record) (2026)
Client experience52 × 5%
Too few enquiries to measure responsiveness; neutral value blended with verified review volume.
- Verified reviews: 8
Profile & data quality80 × 5%
8 of 10 profile fields complete.
- Missing: Photo
- Missing: Phone
Data freshness100 × 5%
Last verified 72 days ago.
- Verified: 2026-07-05
Ranking history
Position in criminal defense rankings in Houston, most recent first.
| Calculated | Position | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 2026 | #1 of 37 | 66.1 |
Licences and qualifications
| Jurisdiction | Issuing body | Number | Admitted | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | State Bar of Texas | DEMO-US-104403 | 1990 | activeVerified 5 Jul 2026 |
- J.D., Commonwealth Law Institute (1989) verified
- LL.M., Atlantic Metropolitan Law School (1996) verified
Recognition
Northbridge Peer Review — Leading Practitioner (2023)
Northbridge Legal Review (fictional)
Family Law Fellowship (2020)
Academy of Family Advocates (fictional)
Sourced matters
Suppression motion granted (demo record)
Houston appellate court · 2026 · Criminal Defense
Reviews
4.9
16 reviews
Verified client reviews (demo fixture)
5.0 from 8 reviews, 8 verified
Open review platform (demo fixture)
4.8 from 8 reviews, 0 verified
- Priya L.9 Sept 2026Unverified
Responsive by phone and email; the fee estimate matched the final bill.
- Omar G.12 Oct 2025Unverified
Good result, although the process took longer than expected.
- Thomas S.23 Sept 2025Verified client
Clear explanations at every stage and realistic about likely outcomes.
- Ruth E.12 Sept 2025Verified client
Well prepared for the hearing and kept me informed throughout.
- Priya O.24 Apr 2024Verified client
Good result, although the process took longer than expected.
- Malik C.11 Apr 2024Verified client
Well prepared for the hearing and kept me informed throughout.
Offices
Data sources
Every fact on this profile is linked to the record it came from. Profile last changed 9 Nov 2025.
- Licensing registry import (demo fixture)Licensing registry1 record
- Verified client reviews (demo fixture)Review source8 records
- Open review platform (demo fixture)Review source8 records