Put it simply, legal directories are lists of lawyers and law firms categorised by their practice area and jurisdiction. Directories assess law firms and lawyers with their own particular methodology and organise their conclusions in a ranking. Most rankings are updated and published annually.
Within the ranking, there are typically different levels. Some directories call them Tiers or Bands and are often followed by a number such as Tier 1, Band 2 etc. There are, in addition, other categories such as Associate to Watch or Up and Coming. The levels are useful to have a hierarchy within the directory.
Rankings offer law firms valuable collateral for marketing, tenders, bids, and PR. Since most directories are international, these directories increase your international exposure, which is particularly important if you undertake cross-border work and hope to highlight your key personnel.
Legal directories started out as printed guidebooks, however, the majority are moving online.
How does the directory process work?
The methodology varies from directory to directory. Some submissions are annual, while other directories accept submissions throughout the year. A submission is a summary of the firm’s work from the preceding year, in addition to a referee list.
Typically, the publication will evaluate the submission, and this may or not be followed by interviewing referees and firm partners.
Ultimately, the researcher from the publication decides the rankings, which is why your submission needs to be as effective as possible. That’s where we come in.
Legal rankings such as Best Lawyers and Who is Who are by peer review, meaning that a nomination of the firm or the lawyer guarantees consideration. Latin Lawyer 250 is by invitation-only, and it’s based on the firm’s activity from the preceding year.
Why should I take part in a legal directory?
Appearing in Legal Directories can help you validate your firm’s expertise and enhance your lawyer’s reputation as most reputable directories carry out their research independently. Ranking in a directory can give you more visibility, and help you to attract clients from other regions or sectors.
In other words, legal directories can help your marketing and client acquisition efforts.
