Super Lawyers Selection Process.
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
- Candidates are grouped according to primary area of practice.
- 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.
- Panelists review and score a list of candidates from their practice area.
- 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
- The research staff checks each candidate’s standing with the local licensing authority.
- Each candidate is asked to aver that they have never been subject to disciplinary or criminal proceedings.
- Final Internet searches are performed on each candidate to ensure there are no outstanding matters that would reflect adversely on the lawyer.
- We contact each lawyer to ensure accuracy of all published information.
About Rising Stars
The General Survey
Lawyers are asked to nominate the best attorneys who are 40 or under, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less. They are instructed to nominate lawyers they have personally observed in action — whether as opposing counsel or co-counsel, or through other firsthand courtroom observation.
The Research Process
In addition to the general survey, the attorney-led research team reviews the credentials of potential candidates to the Rising Stars list and assigns points based on a set of defined evaluation criteria. The research staff also confirms that nominees are properly licensed, in good standing with the state licensing agency, and, when possible, that they have no history of disciplinary action that would warrant removal from the list.
The Final Selection Process
The point totals from the general survey and research process are then added to arrive at a final tally. The lawyers are ranked by point totals and approximately 2.5 percent of the best up-and-coming attorneys in the state are named to the Rising Stars list. The Rising Stars list includes both private practice attorneys and attorneys in non-private practice areas such as prosecutors, in-house counsel, and public service lawyers.
© 2007 Super Lawyers® is a registered trademark of Key Professional Media, Inc.
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