How to Submit to Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners

 Much of our content helps firms improve their rankings, but one of the most common questions from new submitters is simply: How do we even submit? Below is a step-by-step guide to getting involved with both Legal 500 and Chambers.

 Step 1 – Understand When to Submit

Submissions are not accepted year-round. Each year has a hard deadline, and if you miss it, you’ll likely wait another 12 months (though slight extensions may be possible).

 Chambers has all its dates laid out here, you will just need to filter according to your jurisdiction and practice area: https://chambers.com/about-us/research-schedule/

For Legal 500, the deadlines are generally:

·        February – UK Regions – exact date will be posted here

·        February – Latin America – exact date will be posted here

·        April – London – exact date will be posted here

·        June – APAC – exact date will be posted here

·        June – Canada – exact date will be posted here

·        August – EMEA – exact date will be posted here

·        November – US – exact date will be posted here

 Step 2 – Choose Which Areas to Submit

Next, decide which practice areas to submit for. The sections covered vary by guide; for example, some jurisdictions (usually larger ones) have separate tables for M&A and Private Equity, while others group them together.

I encourage you to explore the rankings for your jurisdiction on both sites and choose the tables you want to enter. You may also look at ranked firms and their work/clients to gauge the quality expected.

Both directories offer guidelines on the type of work they will consider for each rankings table.

 These can be found at the links above for Legal 500 while those for Chambers are hyperlinked here: UK, US, Canada, APAC, Europe, France, Latin America, Global and Africa, Caribbean and Middle East.

 Step 3 – Complete the Submission Form & Referee Spreadsheet

Now to begin the submission process, which is more straightforward than many firms imagine. For both directories, you must submit:

·        A submission form—practice introduction, lawyer bios, client list, and 20 recent work examples.

·        A referee spreadsheet—contact details for peers, clients, former clients, or industry professionals.

Each directory has its own bespoke forms though the fundamental information they require is the same.

 For Legal 500, you have an infinite number of referees, though for Chambers it varies between 20 and 30. You will need to refer to the research schedule link above to find the quantity permitted for your practice area.

 You can find the Legal 500 submission form for your jurisdiction at the links above, just look for the ‘submission template’ download. For Chambers, you’ll find the form to the right of this page.

 To assist, here’s an overview of the key rankings criteria and also one with pointers on how to optimally complete each section of the submission form.

 Step 4 – Upload your Documents

 To submit your documents, you need to have an account with Chambers and Legal 500. You can sign up here for Chambers while the form for Legal 500 is on this page.

 Best to sign up in advance of the deadline as it may take a day or two for your account to be created.

 Step 5 – Interviews & Referee Management

 Post-submission, you may be invited to take part in a research interview. These are not offered to all firms, and it is not indicative of a non-ranking should you not be interviewed. In any case, here is a guide on how to approach these.

 Post-submission, the relevant directory will be in touch with dates on which they plan to contact your referees. Once received, it’s always a good idea to give your referees a heads-up and send one or two reminders to them throughout the research period.