Best Practices for Navigating Annual Lawyer Rankings
Law firms in Texas and across the U.S. are nearing the finish line for their annual submissions to legal rankings services. Unfortunately, many of those firms are doing it wrong.
In this post, we underscore the significance of the submission process, detailing the steps every firm should take when seeking recognition in reputable legal rankings. This engagement and commitment are crucial for a successful submission.
Reputable rankings clearly explain how their lists are assembled, the information required, and how they do their research. This transparency largely came about in 2021 when New Jersey began requiring substantiation for attorneys who advertise their Super Lawyers selections.
Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and other rankings services rely on nominations from lawyers and others other than the nominee, so submissions are not required. Other reputable rankings such as Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and those dedicated to specific practice areas are the focus of this post, since they accept nominations from the firms themselves.
Need help getting on a “super best” list? That’s why we’re here! Muse Communications was named one of Texas’ best legal public relations firms by the readers of Texas Lawyer. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
Give Yourself Time to Build a Successful Legal Ranking
Once a firm decides which legal rankings to pursue, the first step is to determine any related deadlines. One common mistake many firms make is not allowing enough time to compile all the information needed for a quality submission. The significance and status of a case are just the start.
Publishers request specific details for each matter, including exact dollar amounts in dispute, award breakdowns, well-written fact summaries, opposing counsel contact information, a list of clients/professional referees, and additional information.
It takes weeks, not days, to assemble and format these details so researchers can easily recognize why your firm should be ranked. One time-tested way to ensure the train stays on track is to designate someone to lead the process whose questions will be answered timely by the firm. They may be someone who is already working at your firm, or it could be on an outside consultant, such as Muse Communications.
Essential Details to Get Your Legal Nomination Noticed
The matters your firm handles are obviously the prime factor behind legal rankings, but knowing how the lists are assembled can be just as important. An increasing number of ranking services are asking firms to focus more on the list of clients and professional references they are asked to provide in their submissions.
Researchers from one ranking service recently told a group of law firms about the time they waste each year trying to track down a client or other professional who could discuss a firm’s practice.
Impressive titles and good relationships with references are not the standard. Rankings services want someone who can speak to the firm’s capabilities and how you work. Almost as important, they want someone who will return their calls and emails, which many high-level in-house counsels and top-tier executives are too busy to do.
To bolster their point, these researchers shared the scenario of a law firm moving up the ranks based on the opinions shared by a junior-level in-house attorney who had working knowledge of a firm’s considerable role in negotiating a significant settlement.
Co-counsel firms with lesser roles had submitted the same settlement, but the young in-house lawyer who did most of the paperwork was able to speak to the first law firm’s more substantial role in the settlement. Not only did the firm see its rankings improve, but two firm attorneys were ranked for the first time.
This is why every firm that wants to improve its rankings should take the extra step of alerting professional references to expect calls or emails from researchers seeking interviews. A shiny list of references means nothing if none of them respond.
Most ranking services announce when their research teams will be doing their work, which allows time for firms to remind their references that they would appreciate their participation. Chambers USA provides online updates that allow firms to track which references have responded, which helps identify who may need a gentle reminder.
Make Your Legal Rankings Submission Clear
While rankings submissions include plenty of dry details and numbers, the section that allows you to describe the matter at hand provides an excellent opportunity to stand out.
The goal is to deliver solid text that gives the researcher a clear vision of the facts while spotlighting your firm's pivotal role without using flowery terms easily recognizable as “marketing speak.” If the person you have designated to assemble the details can produce such text, then they should be writing the case description. If not, then that task should fall to your best writer.
Researchers are like the rest of us. If they are not interested in what they are reading, they are less likely to remember anything noteworthy that may have been included. This includes extraneous details that play no role in the case. You may have won a motion to include testimony from a particular expert. However, including that detail is unnecessary unless the expert’s opinion swung the outcome or significantly contributed to a successful result. That is just one of many examples.
No-Brainers for Legal Rankings
The list of recommendations above represents only a few of the many considerations behind successful legal rankings. Following a few no-brainer steps can make it much easier to navigate the research processes and nuances of individual forms and requirements.
For example, you should include information about getting hired for a significant or even an insignificant case. Some firms erroneously dismiss new clients from their entries when there has been little or no case movement since they were hired, which can rob those firms of potentially getting noticed.
Suppose Microsoft hired your firm to prosecute a case that has yet to be filed. Your submission can say you represent Microsoft in cases involving its patented technology without tipping your hand on when the case will be filed or the target. This same result can be achieved by designating your representation as confidential, although some firms try to avoid such disclosures.
Another easy step that saves a lot of time is a monthly sweep of your firm’s ongoing and recently filed matters to ensure nothing is being mistakenly left out or important details missed. More than one firm has realized after a submission deadline that a worthy case escaped everyone’s attention because it did not significantly impact the firm’s immediate bottom line.
While there are many facets to making it happen, earning high marks on Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and others is very possible. Time management, a solid list of professional references, and clear descriptions that leave no doubt why a firm should be ranked will lay a strong foundation.
Bruce Vincent is a writer and editor who has helped large and small firms create and maintain State Bar-compliant marketing materials and websites for over 25 years. He was the only reporter in the state to provide gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 1995 federal trial that resulted in the Texas ad rules. He can be reached at bruce.vincent@muselegalpr.com.