Part I

For law firms looking to build reputation, attract clients, and secure an advantage in the competitive legal market, one tool often overlooked—or misunderstood—is the legal directory. Directories like Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 play a significant role in shaping external perceptions of legal expertise. But how do these rankings work? Who reads them? And should your law firm invest time, money, and effort in using them?

In this two-part series on legal directories for lawyers in US corporate practice, we will firstly provide a basic background on the major directories, explain why these rankings matter, and look at who uses them. 

In part two of this series, we give helpful tips for navigating the complex world of directory submissions and the benefits of working with expert external consultants along the way. They can act as strategic advisors to help focus your time and resources as well as shepherd your lawyers and BD teams through the legal directory submission process.

Our ultimate objective is to provide high-level guidance so that lawyers and law firms can better understand legal directory rankings and navigate the submissions process with confidence.

Meet the Legal Directories

There are several dozen nationally recognized legal directories available, see the link here for a full explanation of legal rankings.

Below is a summary of the most widely recognised legal directories, although there are also directories that only rank specific practice areas such as IP law.:

• Chambers and Partners

  Known for its deep research methodology and extensive interviews, Chambers ranks both law firms and individual lawyers by practice area and jurisdiction. Its coverage spans the US (by city, state and nationwide), and rest of the world. Chambers ranks law firms and lawyers using a “Band” system - from 1(Highest) to 6 (Lowest) and has establishing its methodology as a definitive mark of excellence for lawyers in their respective fields for specialty or for overall law firm achievement. Chambers employs a rigorous internal scoring system incorporating work matters and feedback from “referees”. Referees are individuals, predominantly current clients, who vouch for the quality of a particular law firm and lawyer's work on a confidential and anonymous basis. Here are some key insights from a recent webinar into gaining and improving your Chambers rankings.

• The Legal 500

  The Legal 500 evaluates firms based on submissions, client feedback, and market research. While similar in global scope to Chambers, ranking by city and nationwide, its presentation style and editorial tone are more commercially focused. There is more weight given to submissions for Legal 500 rankings. In addition, the Legal 500 offers more in terms of legal awards, the Green Guide for ESG orientated lawyers and firms and industry events for law firms to participate in. Join this Q&A with Legal 500 Editors to learn more.

• Best Lawyers

  A peer-reviewed directory, Best Lawyers relies on lawyer nominations and feedback rather than firm submissions. Its focus is on the US and Canada, and it often feeds into U.S. News – Best Law Firms rankings, which combine peer reviews with client surveys. This focuses recognition for local and national law firms and lawyers. 

Here is a comprehensive guide to the Legal Directory Rankings. 

Who Actually Reads Legal Directories?

Legal directories aren’t only vanity metrics. In fact, 97% of law firms in a Chambers survey stated a legal ranking increased their ability to win new clients or justify higher fees. Legal 500’s recent survey of 2,536 corporate general counsel indicated that 49% of such GC’s who participated in the survey consulted the Legal 500 directory on at least a monthly basis. Moreover, 69% of GC’s interviewed in that survey referred to a legal directory recommendation before retaining a law firm. 

• General Counsel

  GC’s rely on directories when entering unfamiliar jurisdictions or hiring for niche expertise. A survey by Legal 500 showed over 60% of GC respondents use directories in the decision-making process. Chambers states that 89% of in-house counsel respondents say rankings influence which firm is awarded work.

• Business Owners and CEOs

  Especially in industries without in-house legal teams, executives turn to these rankings to validate legal credentials and assess risk. 69% of respondents to the Legal 500 survey referred to a legal directory before engaging a law firm in a new matter. 

• Recruitment and Retention

  Firms expanding practice areas or geographies often look for lateral talent through directories. Internally, investing in building junior associate and partner rankings demonstrates a firm’s commitment to career progression, which improves morale and retention.

Not convinced? Find out why you should participate, if they are worth the investment, and more statistics about who uses the legal directories (beyond the obvious) here.

Conclusion

Legal directory rankings aren’t just accolades. They remain a powerful form of validation, strengthening both firm credibility and individual lawyer reputations. Legal rankings are business development tools, recruitment assets, and crucial for brand/reputation management. Understanding more about how each directory works and what they value can make the difference between elevating your rankings and being overlooked. 

In the second part of this two-part series, we will cover how to approach the legal directory process, navigate directory submissions and explore why hiring an expert consultant is beneficial to you and your law firm.