How to Create a Winning Legal Awards Submission

Legal awards writing is both a strategic and creative process. Done well, it can deliver significant benefits for law firms nationally and globally.

Legal awards provide objective recognition from respected industry bodies and highlight your firm’s innovation in key practice areas. They can help attract new clients, strengthen your reputation and improve internal motivation. Whether you sponsor, enter, or attend, awards should form part of a broader marketing and business development strategy.

However, once you have identified a reputable award that aligns with your goals, how do you write the winning entry?

Here are some essential tips for effective legal award writing from our experienced consultants:

1. Understand the Criteria

This step is often underestimated. Many submissions fail because they overlook key requirements. Confirm what judges expect, the timeframe, and the format. Avoid referencing outdated or irrelevant matters if the award specifies recent work or a particular expertise. Read any information provided as they usually contain valuable guidance for meeting criteria and standing out.

If your expertise does not fit with the award’s criteria, do not enter for the sake of participation. Invest your time where it will deliver results.

2. Be Clear and Concise

Complexity and highlighting innovation can make your entry compelling, but clarity is essential.  Explain why a matter was innovative in its context. Demonstrate originality and market awareness. Winning entries are not always the largest deals but often the most impactful or representative of your wider work.

Avoid padding to meet word limits and steer clear of too much jargon. Don’t forget to tailor each submission to the award rather than recycling previous entries.

3. Seek Independent Perspective

An external viewpoint can transform your submission. Objective advice helps sharpen focus and eliminate unnecessary detail. Legal award writing consultancies provide strategic insight and impartial feedback, ensuring your entry highlights what matters most.

4. Use Your Legal Directory Submissions

Legal directory submissions, rankings and editorial are an excellent source of current information to create a strong first draft to present to stakeholders or partners. Rankings and editorial are also valuable, independent evidence of your expertise, innovation and impact to help your awards submission stand out.

Why Legal Award Writing Matters

Legal awards are an investment worth making. They build recognition, differentiate your firm in a competitive market and reinforce your reputation. To maximise your chances of winning, allocate time, involve the right people, and approach each entry strategically. Get in touch for expert support with legal award writing now info@kiddaitken.comor, for ESG awards, info@kiddaitken-esg.com

‍