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Everything You Need to Know About Attorney Awards

ByAmy Adams

The legal industry is highly competitive and winning new clients is becoming increasingly complex, so attorneys need to find differentiators that distinguish themselves and help win new business. Industry awards are one tool that should be in every attorney’s toolbox and can directly impact the speed at which they can grow their business.

The Benefits of Legal Awards for Attorneys

There has been an exponential growth in agencies that are now awarding lawyers with “prestigious” accolades. As a result, it can be challenging for attorneys and legal marketers to sift through the spam and understand trustworthy and reputable agencies. However, there are awarding agencies that have stood the test of time, can be trusted, and bring benefits to law firms. When done properly, there are several benefits to attorneys.

  1. Awards can give validation and credibility. As the business world and legal industry move more of legal services online, credentials become increasingly essential and help foster trust with both existing and potential clients.
  2. Awards can differentiate you from competitors. Not all attorneys can get out from under the daily work to go through the application process, and not all attorneys meet the strict requirements set by the most reputable awarding agencies. When clients choose the best attorney to represent them in their case, and you have legal awards listed on your website or email signature, whereas your competitor doesn’t, you may win the new business.
  3. Awards recognize professional accomplishments. In the application process, reputable award agencies will require you to cite achievements such as specific publications you have authored, case wins, or examples of distinguished service. If you win, award agencies will often feature these accomplishments in their press releases or your attorney profile, which allows you to tap into the residual benefits of your past accomplishments.
  4. Awards can drive traffic to your website. The biggest and most reputable awarding agencies have high-ranking website authorities and, as a result, drive large volumes of web traffic. If you’re awarded by their agency and listed on their website, in their press releases, or on their directories, you can link back to their site and gain traction on your own site’s SEO which can have a positive impact on your firm’s site performance.
  5. They can strengthen industry relationships. The most reputable awards for attorneys require an extensive vetting process, including feedback and ratings by your peers. Compiling your application offers an excellent opportunity to reach out to colleagues and keep your peer relationships warm.
  6. When one attorney wins, the entire firm wins. Depending on the firm’s resources and legal marketing support, attorneys may be at different phases in the award application process. But, when one attorney wins an award and is recognized for outstanding service, it supports the entire firm and helps bring momentum.
  7. Winning helps you re-connect with your audience. If your social media and blog content is getting stale, an award win is an excellent opportunity for fresh content. There are several ways to create a website, social media, and P.R. content that is engaging while still being humble.
  8. It’s cost-effective. Award agencies, reputable and non-reputable, will typically offer paid options after you’ve won your award. Whether you opt-in for things like paid directory listings, engraved plaques, or digital badges, it’s still a cost-effective way to advertise you and your legal practice.

How to Determine if an Attorney Award is Reputable

As we mentioned, there is an oversaturation of companies that offer “prestigious” awards. So, if you’re an attorney or law firm staff, the chances are that one or more companies have contacted you to tell you that you’ve won and how to claim your award. In the end, this has created broad distrust by attorneys. Thankfully, legal marketers and consultants have shared insider information and determine the difference between an award that is legit or just plain spam.

There are several general features of spammy awards. Therefore, if you are considering applying to an award or are contacted by a company that displays these characteristics, it’s best to avoid them:

  • They require that you “pay-to-play” to win. Award agencies should not require that you buy into the nomination process or purchase things such as directory listings or memorabilia to win.
  • Nominations are not required. If the award does not require a peer or colleague nomination, it likely lacks credibility.
  • They require few or no professional credentials. When winning an award, part of the prestige is to be a part of an elite group that has met a high standard of professional achievement. If this standard isn’t set, then it may be spam.
  • They don’t have a deadline for applications. Some law firm awards accept applications throughout the year and do not have deadlines. It is best to avoid those that do not have a nomination or review process.
  • The agency has a minimal online presence. It is important to find an awarding agency with a solid website and a high volume of information on Google or the web spanning many years. 
  • The agency is a team of one or a few people. Reputable award services have solid processes and systems that are supported by large teams.
  • They have persistent company representatives. If the company has a team of representatives who call or email you relentlessly, it’s most likely a spammy award.
  • The company hides as a nonprofit organization. Many agencies will mislead attorneys by pretending to be a nonprofit and referring to themselves as an “institute,” “association,” or “forum.” If they cannot provide a list of their nonprofit filings and board of directors, then it’s likely spam. 
  • The agency uses bold words in the award title. Illegitimate award agencies will tap into a lawyer’s ego and use words such as “best,” “premier,” “elite,” “top,” “eminent,” “excellent,” “distinguished,” or “leading.” It’s best to avoid awards like these.

This covers a list of the red flags, but what qualities should a reputable award have? Respected awards should not require the attorney or law firm to buy into or pay for the award or recognition. Additionally, every attorney or firm that has been honored by the award should be celebrated on merit alone.

The Most Prestigious Awards a Lawyer Can Earn

While it’s a good idea to be aware of potential scams, do not be discouraged. There are several prestigious awards that attorneys and law firms can win. We have vetted all of the awarding agencies in the legal industry and compiled a list of the most reputable awards. Here’s a list: 

  • Acritas Stars
  • American Law Society 
  • AsiaLaw 
  • Asian Legal Business (ALB) 
  • Benchmark Litigation
  • Best Law Firms 
  • Best Lawyers
  • Centerforce Conferences – Women in Law & IP Summit
  • Chambers
  • CIO Applications Magazine 
  • CIO Look 
  • Doyles Guide 
  • Forbes Councils
  • Global Competition Review
  • Gorilla IPR Guide
  • Highrise Networks
  • IAM 100
  • IFLR 1000
  • In-House Community: Counsel of the Year Awards
  • In-House Community: Firms of the Year
  • Insights Success Magazine
  • IP Stars
  • Islamic Finance News
  • Juve Patent
  • Lawdragon
  • Lawyer Legion
  • Leading Lawyers
  • Legal 500
  • Legal Eagles
  • Martindale- Hubbell
  • Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame
  • Modern Counsel Magazine
  • National Advocates
  • National Black Lawyers Top 100
  • Oil & Gas Awards
  • Patexia
  • Premier Health Care Lawyers
  • Profile Magazine
  • S&P Global Market Intelligence M&A League Table
  • Super Lawyers
  • The Knowledge Group
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
  • Trueline Publications
  • TrustedLawyers
  • Who’s Who Legal
  • World Trademark Review
  • Lawyer Network Annual Awards 

It is important to remember that each award on this list varies on how award recipients are vetted and selected and, therefore, how prestigious they are. If you have been nominated for one of these awards or are considering applying and need some guidance, we are happy to help and can discuss your goals in a free 15-minute discovery call. You can also click here to contact us with your request.

How to Win a Lawyer Award

If you want to be recognized for your contributions to the legal industry and differentiate yourself from your competition, it’s best to understand how to apply for (and win) lawyer awards. There are ten steps to follow in the application process. Here is a checklist so that you can be proactive in and guarantee a win:

1. Find reputable agencies that meet your criteria. First, it is essential to do your due diligence and eliminate awards that are not reputable. When researching legal industry awards, look for opportunities that match your experience level, practice areas or industry niche, firm size and location, and client demographics. Finally, it’s a good idea to research and understand what the award is honoring so that you can align with your goals and stand as a strong contender in the process. 

2. Don’t exclude local awards. You may find that your firm can be considered for reputable local distinctions in addition to national awards. With proper research, these opportunities may provide P.R. and exposure to prospective clients in your target market or practice area. 

3. Develop a strategic plan. Your time is precious, so it’s important to set goals and evaluate which awards will yield the most significant return on your investment. The most prestigious awards require detailed biographies, case citations, peer and client reviews, education and certifications, and other accolades, all of which require many hours and preparation. Therefore, you should develop a strategic plan and stick with it to deliver results.

4. Read the nomination and selection requirements. Prestigious awarding agencies have stringent requirements, and some are invitation-only. Therefore, you should read the fine print to understand the qualifications you must meet to apply and win. It would be a big disappointment to prepare and submit an application if only to realize that you overlooked a requirement.

5. Review application dates and deadlines. The most prestigious awards take many months, even years, and are set according to strict timelines. For example, some may be distributed annually, others are every several years, and some require multiple rounds of review and judging panels. Therefore, it’s essential to educate yourself on key dates to prepare well in advance.

6. Engage with your industry peers and colleagues. While it’s good practice to stay connected within the industry and keep in touch with colleagues and peers, we know that the workload can pile up, which isn’t always possible. In addition, it’s important to remember that some reputable law firm awards can require three or more peer or client reviews to be honored. If you haven’t already, now is the time to re-engage with your connections. In doing so, when the time comes to ask for a referral, you can be authentic when reaching out to your peers. 

7. Find strong advocates in your clients. Successful case results and client case studies are excellent tools to help market your practice and even better for winning an award submission. In addition, several agencies require client references in the application process, so it’s good practice to keep in touch with current and former clients so that they can be your biggest advocates.

8. Be memorable. When drafting your application, it’s best to highlight the key differentiators between you and your competition. Ask yourself, what is your unique personal brand? What have you delivered – to clients, colleagues, and the legal community – that is exceptional? These will be the ticket to being honored by the strictest of judges. 

How Firm Innovators Can Help

Our experienced and forward-thinking team at Firm Innovators is here to help you to develop a strategic plan that aligns with your practice’s marketing and business development goals. Awards and reputation management are important components to growing and scaling your small firm and we know first-hand what’s required to win against the competition and leverage your wins for maximum market exposure. Our list of services include: 

  • Developing an awards strategy that aligns with your firm’s marketing and business objectives
  • Advising the best, high-impact law firm awards and filtering through spam agencies
  • Managing the timeline, deadline, application, and credentialing process to ensure all requirements are met
  • Analyzing previous award entries, including assessment and recommendation for ways to improve and yield better results
  • Drafting organizational and communications plan to gather the best peer and client reviews
  • Crafting winning content for your submission that highlights your key differentiators 
  • Developing a system to streamline the awards submission process for future applications

As always, we’re here to help. Click here to schedule a 15-minute discovery and we’ll follow up with you promptly.