Top 3 Questions – And Answers – About Chambers Submissions

With Chambers season coming in hot for U.S. law firms, our Poston Content team has been talking with lawyers and their marketers about best practices in preparing strong submissions for the 2021 guide. Three of the top questions and topics we often address can help you tackle the submission process with confidence and fewer headaches.

Question #1: How important are references?

References – or referees, as Chambers refers to them – are the sine qua non of Chambers submissions and are crucial to the rankings. References should be clients with whom you have worked with over the past year and who you are absolutely confident will return calls to the Chambers researchers. In fact, it’s better to list a lower-ranking person who will speak to the researchers than a C-suite executive who is unlikely to respond.

We know it’s hard to ask your most valued clients for their time and praise, so we offer a number of recommendations to our clients when it comes to making the ask, preparing the reference well for the phone interview and treating them with the VIP treatment they deserve.

Question #2: Can I expect to get my firm or practice ranked the first year I submit?

Unfortunately, not always. Getting ranked takes a multiyear campaign. In some cases, we see individual lawyers get ranked before a practice begins to earn recognition.

But don’t get discouraged: Start this year and begin to demonstrate your track record to Chambers. Editors always look at the previous year’s submission and compare it to the current submission. In other words, you can’t get ranked until you start making submissions.

The good news about this sophisticated process is that a firm or practice won’t necessarily fall out of Chambers’ favor with one slower year or poor submission. Chambers takes a broad-brushed view of the natural ebbs and flows of a law firm’s work.

Question #3: Do I need to buy the profile or Chambers Insight to move up in my band ranking?

There is a strong separation between editorial and advertising at Chambers. Editors take this very seriously and do not review a firm’s purchasing power or history when ranking the bands.

With that said, Chambers Insight, formerly known as Chambers Unpublished, can provide valuable information if you’ve exhausted other resources, such as taking advantage of the free feedback that editors will provide to a firm twice annually. A purchased Department Profile can also be a tool in your SEO arsenal, so don’t dismiss it entirely.

We welcome the opportunity to share more about our Poston Content team’s experience in counseling clients through the Chambers submission process.