Chambers USA sections with new deadlines for 2027
Discover which practice areas are set to be included in the Chambers USA 2027 guide research.
We are proud of the trust thousands of law firms and attorneys have placed in our research and we do our utmost to ensure that all the materials we receive are thoroughly and fairly scrutinized in the course of producing ranking tables that are reflective of the legal market.
As the number of firms participating in our research continues to grow, we need to adapt to ensure firms, referees and our research team get the best out of the process. To enable our team to continue to provide a high standard of research across all practice area categories, this year we need to move a number of submission deadlines to bring research periods away from pinch-points in the year where participation has grown in certain areas and to lighten the amount of research taking place over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The research schedule is live with the new dates for all available categories for USA 2027 and you will find the list of sections with deadlines in a different month to prior years in the table below.
| Location | Practice Area | Previous Deadline | New Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Healthcare | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| California | Immigration | 11 December 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Life Sciences | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial | N/A | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation | N/A | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| California | Media & Entertainment: Litigation | 7 August 2025 | July 16 2026 |
| California | Media & Entertainment: Transactional | 7 August 2025 | July 16 2026 |
| California | Media & Entertainment: Transactional: Mainly Talent | 7 August 2025 | July 16 2026 |
| California | Real Estate | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| California | Real Estate: Litigation | N/A | 8 October 2026 |
| California | Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| California: Northern | Real Estate | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| California: Southern | Real Estate | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| Colorado | Energy & Natural Resources | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Construction | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Environment | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Environment: Mainly Transactional | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Media & Entertainment | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Media & Entertainment: Regulatory | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Technology & Outsourcing | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Florida | Media & Entertainment | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Illinois | Banking & Finance | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Illinois | Communications | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Illinois | Media & Entertainment: Litigation | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Illinois | Media & Entertainment: Transactional | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Illinois | Technology & Outsourcing | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Maine | Bankruptcy/Restructuring | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Construction | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Corporate/M&A | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Energy & Natural Resources | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Environment | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Healthcare | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Intellectual Property | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Labor & Employment | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Litigation: General Commercial | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Litigation: Medical Malpractice & Insurance Defense | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| Maine | Real Estate | 9 October 2025 | 12 November 2026 |
| New York | Banking & Finance | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| New York | Energy: State Regulatory & Wholesale Electric Market | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| New York | Healthcare | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| New York | Intellectual Property | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| New York | Intellectual Property: Patent | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| New York | Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| New York | Outsourcing | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| New York | Private Equity: Buyouts | 13 November 2025 | 8 October 2026 |
| New York | Technology | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Tennessee | Media & Entertainment | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Texas | Antitrust | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Texas | Banking & Finance | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Texas | Bankruptcy/Restructuring | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| Texas | Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Electricity) | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| Texas | Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Oil & Gas) | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| Texas | Healthcare | 7 August 2025 | 16 July 2026 |
| Texas | Immigration | 11 December 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| Texas | Litigation: Appellate | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Texas | Litigation: General Commercial | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Texas | Litigation: Securities | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Texas | Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Texas | Real Estate | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| Texas | Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use | 9 October 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| Texas: Austin & Surrounds | Litigation: General Commercial | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth & Surrounds | Litigation: General Commercial | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Texas: Houston & Surrounds | Litigation: General Commercial | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| Texas: San Antonio & Surrounds | Litigation: General Commercial | 4 September 2025 | 6 August 2026 |
| USA - Nationwide | Transportation: Aviation: Finance | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| USA - Nationwide | Transportation: Aviation: Litigation | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| USA - Nationwide | Transportation: Aviation: Regulatory | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| USA - Nationwide | Transportation: Aviation: Transactional | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| USA - Nationwide | Transportation: Road (Automotive) | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
| USA - Nationwide | Transportation: Road (Carriage/Logistics) | 13 November 2025 | 3 September 2026 |
What else is new this year?
New Submission Areas For Chambers USA 2027
The Chambers USA 2027 Guide sees new practice areas open for submissions. Discover which new ranking opportunities are available in the guide.
Update on Nationwide Sections No Longer Accepting Referees in Chambers USA 2027
Discover which sections in the 2027 edition of Chambers USA will no longer be accepting referees and how these sections will be researched and ranked.
