AN ATTORNEY’S GUIDE TO
SUPER LAWYERS
AN INSIDE LOOK AT
SUPER LAWYERS
Increase your visibility with Super Lawyers.
This guide is designed to provide you with information to help you understand
the nomination and selection process for Super Lawyers and how you can
effectively participate. Additionally, learn what print and online marketing
solutions are available to expand your visibility as well as how to announce
your selection.
CONTENTS
AN ATTORNEY’S GUIDE TO SUPER LAWYERS
Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Selection Process ............................................................................................................................ 4
How You Can Participate in the Process......................................................................................... 5
Distribution ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Print Solutions...................................................................................................................................7
Online Solutions .............................................................................................................................. 8
Spread the News ............................................................................................................................. 9
Frequently Asked Questions......................................................................................................10-11
Important Contacts ........................................................................................................................12
2
SUPERLAWYERS.COM
MY.SUPERLAWYERS.COM
SUPER LAWYERS OVERVIEW
WHAT IS SUPER LAWYERS?
Super Lawyers is a research-driven, peer influenced rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Our mission is to provide visibility to attorneys who exhibit
excellence in the practice of law.
ATTORNEYS ARE
SELECTED FROM
70+ PRACTICE AREAS
AND ALL FIRM SIZES,
ASSURING A CREDIBLE
AND RELEVANT
ANNUAL LIST.
Super Lawyers Magazine features the list and profiles
of selected attorneys, and is distributed to attorneys in
the state or region and all ABA-approved law school
libraries. Super Lawyers Magazine is also published as a special section in leading city and regional
magazines across the country.
FOR YOUR REFERENCE
Super Lawyers is a registered trademark. Please
do not refer to yourself as a ‘Super Lawyer.’
What distinguishes Super Lawyers from other attorney rankings?
• It is created methodically and objectively by combining research with peer
nomination and review.
• The Super Lawyers selection process has been validated by courts and bar
associations.
• It is an annual list, not a lifetime achievement.
• It is exclusive—recognizing no more than 5 percent of each state’s attorneys in
the Super Lawyers list, and no more than 2.5 percent in the Rising Stars list.
• You cannot buy your way onto the Super Lawyers or Rising Stars list.
FOR MORE INFORMATION (877) 787-5290
3
SELECTION PROCESS
INDICATORS OF ACHIEVEMENT
1. Verdicts and settlements
7. Position within law firm
2. Transactions
8. Bar and/or other professional activity
3. Representative clients
9. Pro bono and community service as a lawyer
4. Experience
10. Scholarly lectures and writings
5. Honors and awards
11. Education and employment background
6. Special licenses and certifictions
12. Other outstanding achievements
SUPER LAWYERS
Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase process that includes peer
nominations, evaluations and our independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on
12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an
annual, state-by-state basis.
The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding
attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal
counsel. Since Super Lawyers is intended to be used as an aid in selecting a lawyer, we
limit the lawyer ratings to those who can be hired and retained by the public, i.e., lawyers
in private practice.
RISING STARS
The Rising Stars list is developed using the same patented multiphase process used
for the Super Lawyers list selection, except:
• To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must either be 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less.
• While up to 5 percent of the lawyers in a state are named to the Super Lawyers list, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.
4
SUPERLAWYERS.COM
MY.SUPERLAWYERS.COM
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
IN THE PROCESS
Use the online tool at My.SuperLawyers.com to participate in the Super Lawyers
selection process, order advertising and recognition items, and manage your online
attorney profile.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Tell us about your accomplishments
• Update your attorney information
• Complete data verification
Nominate your peers
Comment on and evaluate other lawyers
• Recommend outstanding peers
• Notify us about attorneys we should consider
(this is not considered a formal nomination)
Order Advertising and Recognition Items online
Manage your online attorney profile
• Udate your contact information
• View your online attorney profile analytics
• Upgrade your online profile
ATTORNEY NOMINATION GUIDELINES
• In-firm nominations are counted only if you nominate an equal or greater number
of lawyers outside of your firm.
• You may nominate a maximum of 21 lawyers (they are limited to seven in-firm
nominations, seven out-of-firm nominations, and seven Rising Stars nominations).
• No “campaigning” or soliciting nominations from other lawyers is allowed. Those
nominations may be disregarded and lead to disqualification.
• Base your nominations on first-hand knowledge, rather than reputation—e.g.,
opposing counsel, co-counsel or someone you have observed in court or during a
transaction.
The nomination process is the first step of a multiphase selection process. Nominations
will remain confidential.
BLUE RIBBON PANEL
Approximately one-third of the attorneys selected last year will be invited to evaluate
other attorneys in their practice area as additional validation of the Super Lawyers list.
If you are selected to be on the Blue Ribbon Panel, you will receive an email with
instructions on how to evaluate the nominees in your state and practice area.
Participating on this panel involves no meetings and a minimal time commitment.
A lawyer’s contribution as a Blue Ribbon panelist is an important step in our research
process. All responses are confidential.
If you are selected to be on the Blue Ribbon Panel, you will not see your own name
appear on the evaluation list. However, your name will appear on a list reviewed by other
Blue Ribbon panelists within your practice area(s).
FOR MORE INFORMATION (877) 787-5290
5
DISTRIBUTION
Attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list gain unprecedented visibility with the Super Lawyers publishing model.
PRINT DISTRIBUTION
SUPER LAWYERS
MAGAZINE
SPECIAL SECTIONS IN
CONSUMER PUBLICATIONS
SUPER LAWYERS
BUSINESS EDITION
SUPER LAWYERS
SPECIAL EDITIONS
33 ISSUES
54+ CITY &
REGIONAL
MAGAZINES
ANNUAL
PUBLICATION
12
REACHING
1.05M ATTORNEYS
REACHING NEARLY
20M CONSUMERS
REACHING 55K+
EXECUTIVES AND
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
AND GROWING, REACHING
10M+ CONSUMERS
ONLINE DISTRIBUTION
SUPERLAWYERS.COM
1.2M PAGE VIEWS
GENERATED EACH MONTH;
4X MORE TRAFFIC
GENERATED FOR LAWYERS WITH
PAID PROFILES
6
SUPERLAWYERS.COM
MY.SUPERLAWYERS.COM
PRINT SOLUTIONS
PLATINUM PROFILE
Platinum Profiles provide editorial-style visibility with
custom photography and copywriting provided by Super
Lawyers. Platinum Profiles are offered in a wide variety of
layouts and sizes to fit your brand and budget.
HALF PAGE
FULL PAGE
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
Display Advertising allows impact and flexibility regarding
the design of the advertisement. The firm may provide
camera-ready ads, or Super Lawyers can assist with design
(additional fees apply).
HALF PAGE
FULL PAGE
ASK SUPER LAWYERS PRINT ADVERTISING
Ask Super Lawyers Print Advertising is an
advertorial-style Q&A meant to showcase an
attorney’s expertise in a specific area of practice.
HALF-PAGE DISPLAY
FULL PAGE PLATINUM
STANDARD PROFILE
A Standard Profile will highlight your
practice with a full-color photo and
biography, and is available in one-third page
and one-ninth page sizes.
IMPACT LISTING
An Impact Listing highlights your practice
within the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
lists. Impact Listings will appear in all
publications in which you are listed.
JOHN R. SMITH
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Anytown • 123‑456‑7890
www.lawfirmname.com
ONE-THIRD PAGE
Contact your Associate Publisher for more information.
Learn more at SuperLawyers.com/Advertising
FOR MORE INFORMATION (877) 787-5290
7
ONLINE SOLUTIONS
ONLINE ATTORNEY PROFILES
Every attorney selected to a Super Lawyers or Rising Stars
list from any year will appear on SuperLawyers.com with a
free basic online attorney profile. To significantly enhance
your online visibility, upgrade to a Premium Online Attorney
Profile or Expanded Online Attorney Profile.
SUPER LAWYERS
TOPSPOTS
PREMIUM ONLINE ATTORNEY PROFILE
Super Lawyers TopSpots
provide exclusive top-three
placement of a Premium
Online Attorney Profile
in the SuperLawyers.com
attorney directory.
ASK SUPER LAWYERS ANSWER PAGE
Showcase your expertise online with an Ask Super Lawyers Answer
Page. This advertorial spin on a traditional question-and-answer
set uses optimized content to direct consumers with a specific legal
issue to your personal Answer Page.
PREMIUM ONLINE FIRM PROFILE
The Super Lawyers Premium Online Firm
Profile provides instant online visibility for
your entire firm. Choose from three design
templates, each with six pages of content.
SUPER LAWYERS VIDEO
Super Lawyers Video provides flexibility and
creativity to help you create a portfolio of
videos for any attorney at your firm (at least
one of the videos must be for an attorney
selected to a Super Lawyers or Rising
Stars list). Full-Day or Half-Day shoots are
available.
Jane Doe rated by Super Lawyers
Attorney Jane Doe describes her personal injury
focused law practice.
Order all online products at My.SuperLawyers.com
8
SUPERLAWYERS.COM
MY.SUPERLAWYERS.COM
SPREAD THE NEWS
SUPER LAWYERS ATTORNEY BADGES
Showcase your accomplishment online with a personalized
Super Lawyers attorney badge. Attorneys selected to a Super
Lawyers or Rising Stars list from any year have the exclusive
opportunity to display this badge on their website, blog or other
online property at no cost.
Badges are also available for special milestones, such as a 5 or
10-year anniversary with Super Lawyers, being included on a
Top List or being featured in Super Lawyers Magazine.
To get your personalized Super Lawyers badge, go to your
Super Lawyers online attorney profile and click the link at
the bottom that reads “Download your Super Lawyers
Personalized Badge.”
SUPER LAWYERS PROMOTIONAL KIT
Announce your selection to a Super Lawyers or Rising Stars list
with help from our complimentary promotional kit, including
templates for press releases, emails, blog posts and social
media posts. Also includes language on how to announce a 5
or 10-year anniversary with Super Lawyers or inclusion to
Super Lawyers Business Edition.
2015 EDITION
Contact your Associate Publisher for your copy of the
Super Lawyers Promotional Kit today.
SUPER LAWYERS
PROMOTIONAL KIT
GROW YOUR LEGAL NETWORK AND CONNECT
WITH US TODAY!
VISIT SuperLawyers.com/Social
FOR MORE INFORMATION (877) 787-5290
9
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
NOMINATION
Who is entitled to nominate?
To be eligible to make nominations, an
attorney must be licensed and practicing in
the state where he or she wishes to nominate.
Can I nominate myself?
No.
How do I nominate attorneys for Super Lawyers?
If you are a practicing attorney, visit
My.SuperLawyers.com. In the nominations
section you can add comments to your
nominations and rate each attorney you
nominate on 12 different criteria. To see a
list of states where nominations are being
accepted, go to SuperLawyers.com/about/
nominations.html. If you are not a practicing
attorney, send an email to
[email protected] with
comments and suggestions on attorneys we
should consider for inclusion. These “informal
nominations” carry no point value in our
lawyer-rating system, but will ensure that the
attorneys are placed in our candidate pool for
further evaluation.
Can I nominate a lawyer from another state?
Our nomination page at My.SuperLawyers.com is designed to accept
only in-state nominations. However, you may
comment on and evaluate lawyers from other
states by clicking the “Comment on/Evaluate
Lawyers” tab at the top of the My.SuperLawyers.com home page. These
comments and evaluations will be treated as
“informal nominations” which carry no point
value in our rating system, but will ensure that
the attorneys are placed in our candidate pool
for further evaluation.
May I nominate via paper ballot?
Yes. Go to Downloads.SuperLawyers.com/pdf/
SLRS_Web_Ballot.pdf. Print, complete and fax
your ballot by the printed deadline.
10
Can you confirm that you received my
ballot?
If you completed your ballot online and
provided us with your email address, you will
receive confirmation by email. We are unable
to confirm receipt of paper ballots.
I want to know who nominated me. Will you
tell me?
No. We maintain strict confidentiality over the
balloting process.
ONLINE PROFILES
How can I change the information displayed
in my online attorney profile?
If you have an Expanded or Premium Online
Attorney Profile on SuperLawyers.com, you
can update the information displayed using
the Profile Manager on My.SuperLawyers.com.
You must be logged in to use the Profile
Manager. Any changes will be visible on your
profile page and will be reflected in the
SuperLawyers.com search results within 24
hours.
How can I add/update my photo on my
profile page?
If you already have a photo, you can change it
at any time. Once logged in to My.SuperLawyers.com, use the Profile
Manager to add or change your photograph.
The pixel size is 128x160 if you want to resize it
yourself—if not, the Profile Manager will resize
your photograph for you.
If your profile page does not contain your
photograph, then you must first upgrade to a
Premium Online Attorney Profile or
Expanded Online Attorney Profile. Contact
your Associate Publisher or call 1-877-787-5290 for more information.
How can I link to my profile page? Do you
provide graphics to use on my website?
Every profile page contains a link to a
personalized Super Lawyers attorney badge
that you can place on your site. The necessary
HTML is presented as a block of code that can
be easily copied and pasted into any webpage.
SUPERLAWYERS.COM
MY.SUPERLAWYERS.COM
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How can I have my blog headlines appear on
my profile page?
You can add this information to your
Profile using the Profile Manager on
My.SuperLawyers.com. For this feature to work
you need to enter the URL for your blog’s RSS
or Atom feed.
research and advertising. The names of all
attorneys selected by Super Lawyers are
published in our print publications and at
SuperLawyers.com at no charge whether
attorneys advertise or not. Advertising sales
do not begin until after the selection process is
completed.
SUPER LAWYERS SELECTION
How many lawyers make the list?
The Super Lawyers list recognizes no more
than 5 percent of attorneys in each state.
The Rising Stars list recognizes no more
than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state.
To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars,
a candidate must either be 40 years old or
younger, or in practice for 10 years or less.
If I have been selected to a Super Lawyers
list, can I refer to myself as a “Super
Lawyer”?
A lawyer on our list is not a “Super Lawyer,”
or a “Rising Star.” Rather, “he or she has been
named to the 2015 Minnesota Super Lawyers
list or 2015 Minnesota Rising Stars list.” When
used properly, the term is not descriptive
or comparative. Instead, it’s a fact-based
statement, and as such, is protected speech.
If I am notified that I have been selected, is
there anything I need to do?
Yes, please complete the data verification
online at My.SuperLawyers.com or return the
paper form sent to selected attorneys with
your notification. This will ensure you will be
listed.
I was listed in Super Lawyers last year but
not this year. What happened?
We perform a new round of balloting and
Blue Ribbon Panel review each year, so the
list undergoes some degree of change from
year to year. Being listed one year does not
guarantee that you will be published the
following year.
Why don’t you list non-private practice
lawyers such as public defenders,
prosecutors and in-house counsel?
As a lawyer rating service, Super Lawyers
is intended to be a resource to help in the
selection of legal counsel. As such, we limit
the list to attorneys who can be hired and
retained by the public, i.e., lawyers in private
practice and Legal Aid attorneys.
I have a national litigation practice and
don’t try local cases. I’m afraid I’ll be
overlooked in the balloting. What can I do?
Our research team evaluates candidates on 12
indicators of peer recognition and professional
achievement. Be sure to keep your profile
up-to-date on My.SuperLawyers.com, because
our researchers will be notified each time an
update is made. This is very important for
making yourself visible during the research
process.
GENERAL
How do I make sure I receive email from
Super Lawyers?
We currently send email with the following
‘From’ address:
[email protected]. If you
whitelist these addresses, you should receive
all of our main bulk mailings.
Can I pay to be published in Super Lawyers?
No. We maintain strict separation between
FOR MORE INFORMATION (877) 787-5290
11
IMPORTANT CONTACTS EDITORIAL
Do you have an interesting story for
Super Lawyers? The editor welcomes
suggestions for articles:
Email: [email protected]
RESEARCH
Do you have questions about the Super
Lawyers or Rising Stars selection process or
about nominations?
ADVERTISING/SALES
To purchase or inquire about advertising in
Super Lawyers, call:
(877) 787-5290 and press 1
OTHER QUESTIONS
Please call and press the appropriate number
from the directory:
(877) 787-5290
Email: [email protected]
OFFICE LOCATIONS
RECOGNITION ITEMS & GIFTS
For Super Lawyers Recognition Items and
Gifts, please contact:
Eagan, MN
Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters
610 Opperman Drive
Eagan, MN 55123
Email: [email protected]
ONLINE PROFILE SERVICE
If you have questions about online profiles,
please call:
Bellevue, WA
Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters
155 108th Ave NE
Suite 600
Bellevue, WA 98004
(302) 444-9504
Newark, DE
Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters
256 Chapman Road
Oxford Building #201
Newark, DE 19702
March 2015
Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters