How we conduct research fairly

Unbiased research process   

As part of our extensive and in-depth research, we’re committed to providing an accurate and equitable reflection of the legal profession today. 

To support that process, we collect gender diversity data on ranked lawyers for all of our guides. This helps us to better understand gender distributions across the profession and ensure our rankings are reflective of the breadth of gender diversity in the profession. We also strive to speak to a range of lawyers and gather a variety of perspectives in our research to inform our ranking decisions. 

All researchers undergo a ‘reducing bias in research’ training session, when they learn how to analyse sources at a basic (provenance and purpose) level, then look to investigate bias with curiosity, thereby enhancing fairness within the research process. 

We work in collaboration with the legal profession. Our research and rankings aim to hold a mirror up to the profession, so to accurately reflect the diversity of the profession, we encourage firms to put forward a diverse cohort of lawyers and client referees.