How We Select Attorneys for Inclusion in Super Lawyers

One of the persistent misperceptions about Super Lawyers is that lawyers are simply “voted” on to the list. While it’s true that we invite lawyers to nominate their peers, as you’ll see, this is just a part of what we do in selecting lawyers for Super Lawyers (and Rising Stars, our listing of top lawyers who are 40 years old and younger or who have been in practice 10 years or less).

Our process has three distinct phases. We start with the creation of the candidate pool. Once the pool is final, our research department evaluates each candidate. The last step is a review of the candidates by their peers within their primary area of practice. Together, these three steps create a system of checks and balances that produces a well-rounded list of attorneys (A more detailed description of our process is available at superlawyers.com.)

We evaluate candidates based on our 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. These include: verdicts; settlements; transactions; representative clients; experience; honors and awards; special licenses and certifications; position within law firm, bar and or other professional activity; pro bono and community service; scholarly lectures and writings; education and employment background; and other outstanding achievements.

Evaluations are based on information gathered from a variety of sources. Our research department searches biographies on law firm Web sites, online and database sources, legal periodicals and any information and evaluations supplied to us by lawyers at my.superlawyers.com.

There are a number of safeguards built into our system to ensure that large firms don’t dominate the list and to detect any manipulation of the process (e.g., reciprocal or orchestrated nominations). We do not select attorneys by practice area per se; rather, selected lawyers report to us their primary area of practice, and that’s how they are listed in the magazine.

Our objective with Super Lawyers is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys. We want Super Lawyers to be a tool for research, not a replacement. We don’t expect anyone to rely exclusively on this, or any other list in selecting counsel. Rather, Super Lawyers is intended to be a place to begin a logical search for legal counsel, or to validate a referral.

While our process is based on the collection and evaluation of objective criteria, it is an editorial product for which judgment calls are made. As such, we expect there to be disagreement with some of our selections. We also recognize that because we limit the Super Lawyers list to only 5 percent of the lawyers per jurisdiction (2.5 percent for Rising Stars), some fine—and arguably deserving—lawyers may be excluded.

If you feel you’ve been overlooked, I encourage you (or your authorized assistant) to update your practice information at my.superlawyers.com to ensure that our research department has a complete picture of your background and experience. We don’t claim infallibility. But thanks to a process that is transparent, rational and rigorous, we believe Super Lawyers is a valuable and reliable indicator of peer recognition and professional achievement.