The importance of meeting legal directory deadlines - beyond the obvious

We all know the saying ‘Time is money’. But it’s not just money – time is also key to a successful legal directory submission. While a concise, comprehensive submission will always pay dividends, one factor that is often understated is time. Maintaining an awareness of timescales is vital to securing a successful submission. Uploading your submission well ahead of a legal directory deadline is not only essential for ensuring your submission is received and read by the researcher. It also helps you alleviate the inevitable pressure of crafting a thought-out submission, as well as influence your future submission strategy. We have a Submissions Calendar to help you keep on top of key dates.

Legal Directories Consultant Angelica Pedroso considers the significance of meeting submission deadlines for yourself, the researcher, and your future legal directory rankings.

Reduce pressure on the researcher

Although the legal directories themselves set deadlines, they also need to work to them. Legal directory researchers have to read through hundreds – perhaps even thousands – of submission documents per guide. Not to mention the time needed to contact and liaise with your referees, and the responsibility that these tasks entail. Often working to strict deadlines, the research cycle can take upwards of six months, typically closer to nine. So it’s important that the researcher can also plan their time ahead accordingly, without a last-minute flurry of submissions. Although your researcher may not personally thank you for it, an awareness of their needs is basic good manners and it is very likely that your competitors will send their submissions with ample time to spare!

Reduce pressure on yourself

Legal directory submissions require a large amount of time, resource, and hard work. Compiling the submission document itself, writing lawyer bios and work highlights, contacting potential referees for submission – all of this adds up. Especially when handling submissions on top of everyday work. We estimate that compiling a legal directory submission could take upwards of 20 hours. Planning ahead and looking towards deadlines well in advance allows you to factor in enough time to complete your entry. In particular when submitting to multiple directories and jurisdictions, it’s a good idea to do what you can to minimise as much stress as possible. Once you have learned how much time you need to compile a submission, it will be easier to factor in these deadlines and plan for the future.

Submit to strategise

Submitting to legal directories should not be a short-term endeavor. Especially in the light of directories’ cumulative research processes and the amount of time it takes to build up solid referee feedback – relevant for both Chambers and The Legal 500 submissions. Therefore, by meeting deadlines and planning your legal directory journey well in advance, you can look towards your medium- and long-term ranking goals, whether that’s securing a ranking in a particular directory, climbing the rankings or building your reputation. Furthermore, if you want to submit to directories but never seem to find the time, holding yourself to these deadlines is useful. Creating a deadline calendar that breaks down aspects of a submission into manageable sections is a helpful task for taking control of that time. Our Submissions Calendar can be a useful reference for upcoming deadlines and forecasting when a deadline is likely to be set.

Similarly, if you miss out on submission deadlines, you miss out on important submission feedback. Not to mention the fact that your competitors have probably met the deadlines and submitted. Legal directory submission feedback is integral for your future submissions strategy. The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners both offer post-submission feedback in the form of Research+ and Chambers Insight respectively. These expert insights are useful for improving future submissions and identifying how your firm sits among – and is viewed by – your peers. Although we do not advocate sending in a submission for the sake of it, it is only by starting your submissions journey that you are able to improve on it – and achieve the rankings you want.

If you would like us to help you meet your legal directory deadlines, do not hesitate to get in touch with us today. With a global team of consultants, we would be happy to discuss your needs – in almost any language.

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