Super Lawyers Selection Process

The objective of the Super Lawyers selection process is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource to assist attorneys and consumers in the search for legal counsel.

In December 2006, Key Professional Media, Inc., retained Global Strategy Group (GSG), one of the nation's leading market research and consulting firms, to provide an independent assessment of the Super Lawyers selection process. The GSG report concluded that the process is scientific and objective and went on to state:

"The broad range of sources used to obtain a large and representative nominee pool, the comprehensive data search on each candidate, the protocols used to evaluate nominees, the expert panel system, and the meticulous checks and balances built into the process … leave little to chance or idiosyncratic influence."

No other legal publisher goes through the unique multi-step process that Super Lawyers employs to find evidence of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Step One: Creation of the Candidate Pool

Statewide survey of lawyers

* Each year, we conduct a statewide survey of lawyers (except in California, New York and Washington, D.C., where we survey by region). Lawyers eligible to participate include those who have been in practice for at least five years.

* This year, we will invite more than 800,000 lawyers nationwide to participate in our survey.

* We ask the lawyers to nominate the best attorneys they've personally observed in action.

* Nominees need not be in private practice. Lawyers may nominate legal aid attorneys, prosecutors and in-house counsel.

* Lawyers may nominate attorneys in their own firm, but these nominations count only if each in-firm nomination is matched by at least one out-firm nomination.

* Each nomination carries a point value. An out-firm nomination has substantially greater point value than an in-firm nomination.

* Lawyers cannot nominate themselves.

With our database, we are able to keep track of who nominates whom. This helps us detect any excessive "back-scratch" nominations (lawyers nominating each other) and "block nominations" (where members of the same law firm all cast identical ballots).

"Star Search" process

We add additional names to the candidate pool through our "Star Search" process.

Our attorney-led research staff searches for outstanding lawyers by:

* Reviewing national and local periodicals as well as legal trade journals

* Searching numerous databases and online sources

* Conducting in-person and telephonic meetings with law firms

Some of the attorneys found through Star Search may have been missed in the online balloting process. Examples of lawyers often overlooked in balloting:

* Lawyers with national litigation practices who rarely appear in the courts of their home jurisdiction

* Lawyers in smaller firms, or from smaller communities

* Lawyers practicing in less visible or highly specialized practice areas

Step Two: Evaluation of Lawyers in Candidate Pool

Our research department examines the background and experience of each candidate searching for evidence of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Factors considered in evaluating candidates:

* Verdicts and 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

* Other outstanding achievement

Step Three: Peer Evaluation by Practice Area

1. Candidates are grouped according to primary area of practice.

2. Those with high point totals from the balloting and qualitative evaluation steps are asked to be on a blue ribbon panel for their practice area.

3. Panelists review and score a list of candidates from their practice area.

4. Panelists may add names to the list. These are passed along to research for evaluation.

Final Selection

Final candidates are segmented according to firm size (firm size categories vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction). Those with the highest point totals from each category are selected. Only 5 percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers.

Before Publishing

1. The research staff checks each candidate's standing with the local licensing authority.

2. Each candidate is asked to aver that they have never been subject to disciplinary or criminal proceedings.

3. Final Internet searches are performed on each candidate to ensure there are no outstanding matters that would reflect adversely on the lawyer.

4. We contact each lawyer to ensure accuracy of all published information.

The Rising Stars Selection Process 

The selection process for Rising Stars is the same as the Super Lawyers selection process except that: 1) to be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for ten years or less; 2) Candidates for Rising Stars do not go through step three above -- peer evaluation by practice area. While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.