Overview What is your best advice for someone new to the world of legal marketing and the Chambers submission process? Is there a percentage breakdown in terms of how research is weighted? For example, 50% referee feedback, 40% work highlights, 10% market feedback? How do I get more information on our ranking? How does a firm move up through the ranking system? Are there time criteria at each level as an example, and what factors are most critical to determining what ranking level a firm is given? For those lawyers who are already ranked, are they required to submit again or will they continue to stay ranked? Do you need to be ranked in multiple states in order to be considered for nationwide ranking? Will COVID-19 related matters be ranked the same or of greater importance to other client matters? I'm ranked in Chambers but my firm is not. How do I get the firm ranked? Is it possible for a very small firm (two lawyers) to achieve Chambers ranking in a practice area traditionally dominated by big firms? There will, of course, be many fewer matters to evaluate. Will that matter for the evaluation process? If we have an attorney based in one state but with significant work in another, can she be ranked in both states? What efforts are made to interview women and diverse partners as part of the research process? How important is LGBTQ diversity to Chambers? How do you guard against firms (particularly large firms) securing listings for their (for example, white male senior) leaders, at the expense of talented diverse persons (women, minorities, more junior lawyers etc.) who clients and the legal market might themselves put forward or prefer to list? Larger firms have more matters to choose from in identifying the most significant, which creates a systematic bias in favor of large firms. Do you compensate for this in any way to help boutique firms, especial woman and minority owned smaller firms? Does a researcher get assigned for each submission? Or how do we know what researcher to contact? Is the 12 month period for the publishable matters based on the deadline submission date? As in past years, can we include over 10 publishable matters as long as we submit 20 total matters? Will we be penalized for exceeding the 500 word count limit in section B10 of the submission? If we have a highly confidential client, would you still encourage us to disclose client name in confidential matter section? Should multiple matters be listed under a single client, or do you prefer those to be broken out into different matter listings? Will COVID-19 related matters be ranked the same or of greater importance to other client matters? What should we take into consideration when selecting which matters to feature? Do you give more weight to cross-border matters, example or matters that involve big-name clients? How important is it to see new clients on the client lists? Do you give any preference to publishable matters/client over confidential ones? How does Chambers view if our firm doesn't submit referees this year considering the additional stresses facing our clients currently? What is the value of more vs. less referees? In other words, is there value in submitting 20 referees when 10 would suffice? How does Chambers contact referees? Email or phone call? Can referees be submitted after the deadline (so long as they are submitted by the research period)? How should we let Chambers know who the key contacts are (from the marketing/BD team) for our submissions so we receive emails with updates/changes/announcements?

What is your best advice for someone new to the world of legal marketing and the Chambers submission process?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Chambers submissions. The process can seem challenging to navigate without prior experience, but we are keen to make this as accessible and inclusive as possible. Our website provides guidance on how to complete a submission form and referee spreadsheet, as well as the templates we would encourage you to use. We would also love to speak to anyone new to this process and would welcome any questions you may have. You can get in touch with us at [email protected]and find more information on the US editorial team here.

Related articles

Is there a percentage breakdown in terms of how research is weighted? For example, 50% referee feedback, 40% work highlights, 10% market feedback?

How do I get more information on our ranking?

How does a firm move up through the ranking system? Are there time criteria at each level as an example, and what factors are most critical to determining what ranking level a firm is given?

For those lawyers who are already ranked, are they required to submit again or will they continue to stay ranked?

Do you need to be ranked in multiple states in order to be considered for nationwide ranking?

Will COVID-19 related matters be ranked the same or of greater importance to other client matters?

I'm ranked in Chambers but my firm is not. How do I get the firm ranked?

Is it possible for a very small firm (two lawyers) to achieve Chambers ranking in a practice area traditionally dominated by big firms? There will, of course, be many fewer matters to evaluate. Will that matter for the evaluation process?

If we have an attorney based in one state but with significant work in another, can she be ranked in both states?

What efforts are made to interview women and diverse partners as part of the research process?

How important is LGBTQ diversity to Chambers?

How do you guard against firms (particularly large firms) securing listings for their (for example, white male senior) leaders, at the expense of talented diverse persons (women, minorities, more junior lawyers etc.) who clients and the legal market might themselves put forward or prefer to list?

Larger firms have more matters to choose from in identifying the most significant, which creates a systematic bias in favor of large firms. Do you compensate for this in any way to help boutique firms, especial woman and minority owned smaller firms?

Does a researcher get assigned for each submission? Or how do we know what researcher to contact?

Is the 12 month period for the publishable matters based on the deadline submission date?

As in past years, can we include over 10 publishable matters as long as we submit 20 total matters?

Will we be penalized for exceeding the 500 word count limit in section B10 of the submission?

If we have a highly confidential client, would you still encourage us to disclose client name in confidential matter section?

Should multiple matters be listed under a single client, or do you prefer those to be broken out into different matter listings?

Will COVID-19 related matters be ranked the same or of greater importance to other client matters?

What should we take into consideration when selecting which matters to feature? Do you give more weight to cross-border matters, example or matters that involve big-name clients?

How important is it to see new clients on the client lists? Do you give any preference to publishable matters/client over confidential ones?

How does Chambers view if our firm doesn't submit referees this year considering the additional stresses facing our clients currently?

What is the value of more vs. less referees? In other words, is there value in submitting 20 referees when 10 would suffice?

How does Chambers contact referees? Email or phone call?

Can referees be submitted after the deadline (so long as they are submitted by the research period)?

How should we let Chambers know who the key contacts are (from the marketing/BD team) for our submissions so we receive emails with updates/changes/announcements?

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