Whether you’re an associate, a partner or in BD/marketing you’ve likely spent more than enough time working on your team’s legal directory submissions and understand the importance of the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
These directories can play a crucial role in showcasing your firm’s expertise, and a leading individual ranking can significantly impact an individual’s career. Here are five steps you should never skip when pulling together your submission.
1. Understand what the researcher/directory is looking for
Before you even begin the submission process, take the time to remind yourself of the criteria that the directories use to evaluate firms and individual lawyers.
Each directory has its own unique set of guidelines, and it’s essential to align your submission with these criteria. Read through their guidelines carefully, and make sure you address all the relevant aspects they’re looking for, preferably before you agree on which matters you’re going to include. For example, don’t disregard a matter because the value is low – remember that complexity and context count too. Even if it’s a small monetary value, if it was instrumental in helping your client’s business, it’s worth including.
2. Showcase your expertise and achievements (without overdoing it on marketing speak)
When it comes to the submission, don’t be modest. The researcher will be reviewing tens of submissions for the same practice area, so make it stand it out and make it count.
Highlight your achievements, successful cases, and areas of expertise, but without relying too heavily on what we call ‘marketing speak’. We recently interviewed Simon Christian and Al Marsh at Chambers & Partners and overuse of marketing speak was one of their top gripes. An example: “we are 100% committed to our clients’ best interests” (as opposed to what?) – look at your content with a critical eye, make sure to add context, and provide specific examples that demonstrate your team’s capabilities.
Use metrics and data wherever possible to substantiate your claims. Remember, the more evidence you can provide, the stronger your submission will be.
3. Be smart about your referees
Client and referee feedback is gold – it’s near impossible to be promoted without it. There is so much to say about referees that this will be a dedicated article on this topic later in our series.
In short: collate a list of potential referees well before the deadline (preferably throughout the year) so it’s not a last-minute scramble. Make sure all your leading individuals have sufficient referees (don’t fall prey to politics), and be sure to obtain their permission to use their feedback in your submission.
4. Keep it concise (and remember the researcher is a layperson)
While you want, and often need, to provide comprehensive information, it’s crucial to present it in a clear and concise manner.
Legal directory researchers see hundreds of submissions to review in one submission round, so make their job easier. Remember that while the researchers go through intensive training, they often come from a non-legal background. Littering your submission with legal jargon isn’t going to impress them without content.
Review every matter with a critical eye – for teams with BD support – do they understand why a matter is important? If not, consider how it can be rewritten.
Interested in finding out what else Simon and Al from Chambers said about how associates can get ranked? Sign up to our newsletter.
Feeling overwhelmed by the directory process? Get in touch for a chat with Gemma.
Keep an eye out for the next instalment of our series, focusing on mistakes to avoid with your referees.
