Legal 500 US Elite Explained

The first Legal 500 US Elite Rankings were recently published, but what does this mean for US lawyers and law firms? Below is a quick overview on what you need to know,  including practice areas, locations and who can submit. These rankings are ongoing with more cities, and possibly practice areas, to be announced over the course of this year.  

Who do these new rankings focus on?

Key US lawyers outside global elite firms who are handling work at the top of the legal market in their respective cities. Essentially, it focuses on lawyers at regional powerhouses that may be neglected by other rankings. Law firm practice groups are not ranked, only individual lawyers.

How can I get ranked?

“Our selection process begins with researchers creating a list of prospective candidates, which is extensively reviewed by our editorial team. All shortlisted lawyers are invited to make a submission and participate in a brief 30-minute interview with our researchers, while submissions and interviews are also open to all qualifying attorneys.  During the interview, we also solicit extensive peer feedback regarding other lawyers operating in their respective legal sectors. Lawyers are also invited to supply client references to support their inclusion.”

Where does US Elite rank lawyers?

Currently, it is only lawyers in New York, Chicago and Washington DC. However, we know that more cities/states will be announced this year so will update this post as they are released.

What practice areas are ranked?

These rankings look at Corporate and M&A, Commercial Disputes (New York and Chicago only) and International Litigation (Washington DC only). It is likely to remain focused on commercial/corporate practice areas but more could be announced as new cities are announced.

Full Legal 500 FAQs here

Want to learn more? We’re running a series of webinars this spring to help you craft strong submissions, navigate the referee process and understand how to grow your rankings. Keep an eye on our newsletter, website and socials for details.

Kidd Aitken is one of the largest legal directory consultancies with over a decade of experience building legal rankings for top tier law firms around the world. Our consultants are are former directory Editors, Deputy Editors, researchers, in-house marketing executives and solicitors. Each year we handle 3,500 – 4000 submissions per year for Chambers, IFLR1000, Legal 500 and other prestigious directories for our clients, which truly gives us a unique insight into best practice for strong submissions. Uniquely, we have a dedicated co-ordination team to monitor and assist law firms in the research process, from start to finish, to ensure the best possible service for our clients. Get in touch to find out how we can grow your rankings.