The Best Law Firms® team hosted an educational webinar to review guidelines and best practices for law firms promoting their rankings in the upcoming 14th edition of Best Law Firms.
Each year, the Best Law Firms rankings provide comprehensive information about thousands of top law firms nationwide, including data on areas of expertise, lawyers, awards, office locations and more. On November 2, 2023, Best Law Firms will publish its annual rankings independently for the first time. This change will impact the way firms can promote their rankings, so the webinar provided updates to ensure marketing campaigns uphold revised standards.
Some of the topics in the webinar include the publicizing guidelines, badge usage guidelines, best ways to update a press release and how to update web profiles and social media tutorials.
For additional questions, information or assistance, please contact our Public Relations Manager, Megan Edmonds medmonds@bestlawyers.com.
In addition to questions asked during the webinar, here are some further FAQs about the launch of the independent rankings and the Best Law Firms rankings in general:
How is a law firm eligible to receive a Best Law Firms ranking?
To be eligible to participate in the Best Law Firms research process, a firm must have at least one attorney who has received a high enough peer review to be recognized in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Firms are eligible in the practice area(s) and metro region(s) with individual recognitions. The complete list of awardable practice areas for Best Law Firms is available online. To find out more about the nomination and selection process for Best Lawyers®, read our Best Lawyers methodology.
Do Best Law Firms rankings impact individual Best Lawyers awards?
Best Lawyers awards are evaluated independently and will continue to be compiled according to our annual Purely Peer Review® survey. Best Law Firms awards are only for law firms.
What is the timeline for the Best Law Firms research process?
Our research and announcement timeline is available here. Feel free to contact us at bestlawfirms@bestlawyers.com anytime for questions on our research cycle.
How are Best Law Firms rankings determined?
Best Law Firms rankings are based on client/professional reference feedback, firmographic information provided by firms, industry leader interviews and feedback collected on individual lawyers through the Best Lawyers research process. Best Lawyers’ Director of Research & Development Elizabeth Petit further explains the importance of the submission process and answers law firm questions about presenting clients, professional references and law firm surveys in this informational webinar.
Is there a cost to participate in the research process or to receive a Best Law Firms award?
No, there are no fees to be considered for or receive a ranking.
Where will the rankings be published?
On November 2, 2023, all rankings will be published online on bestlawfirms.com. The National and Metro Tier 1 rankings will also be published in print and online through the 14th edition Best Law Firms publication.
Can I receive communications regarding our law firm's research process, announcements and other opportunities?
Law firms may designate a point of contact—or multiple contacts—to receive communications related to Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms initiatives. Please contact us at bestlawfirms@bestlawyers.com to be added as a contact for your firm.
How can I publicize and promote our firm’s rankings?
For information on licensing the Best Law Firms badge, advertising and other marketing opportunities, contact your firm’s Legal Media Specialist or sales@bestlawyers.com.
What happened to the previous media partnership?
This strategic move to independently publish these awards enables our Best Law Firms team to enhance our offerings for you. It gives us an unprecedented opportunity to bring you innovative solutions you’ve been asking for, grow the network of professionals you’ve come to rely on and build even deeper connections with the most outstanding law firms, corporate legal professionals and others in the field.
If we would like Best Law Firms to review our press releases before publishing to ensure the information is correct with the publishing guidelines, who do we contact?
You can send your press release to medmonds@bestlawyers.com for review.
What do the new badges look like?
In addition to the badge design displayed in this presentation, other badge designs can be viewed in your Admin Portal.
Where can I purchase a badge?
You can purchase a badge on your Admin Portal. If you have any further questions, you can email bestlawfirms@bestlawyers.com, and we can connect you with your Legal Media Specialist.
When am I allowed to use my badge?
All promotions may begin when embargo ends and the rankings become public on November 2, 2023.
Can I just get the silver standard badge without the Tier designation?
All promotions must include the five required elements, so even with the use of a Silver Standard Badge, you must prominently display the Tier designation, metropolitan or national classification and practice area(s) for at least one of your awards. Best Law Firms looks to regional and national bar associations’ best practices for advertising when developing our own publicizing guidelines. Our aim is to not only position law firms well within compliance, but to also provide transparency and clarity to clients of law firms who use Best Law Firms rankings when looking for a firm to handle their case.
Will promotions of Best Law Firms rankings include a print component?
Yes! We are expanding our print Best Law Firms program from the traditional, annual publication to a regional distribution model. These print promotions will also have digital investments to optimize the full campaigns.
If you have questions about your rankings or publicizing guidelines, the Best Law Firms team is here to help.
The full webinar is available on demand here.
