Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers
Name	Super Lawyers
Type	Private
Industry	Legal services
Founded	1991
Founder	Tom Pollack
Headquarters	Knoxville, Tennessee
Area served	United States
Products	Attorney rating publications

Super Lawyers is a rating service that identifies outstanding attorneys in the United States through a selection process combining peer nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations. The list is published annually in regional magazines, legal directories, and online, and is used by attorneys, clients, and journalists seeking vetted information about legal practitioners. The organization’s selections have been cited in legal news coverage, firm marketing materials, and bar association communications.

Overview

Super Lawyers publishes lists of attorneys in states and metropolitan areas, producing annual directories that highlight recognized practitioners. The service is organized into subscription publications and searchable online listings, and competes with other legal rankings and awards such as Chambers and Partners, Martindale-Hubbell, Best Lawyers, The Legal 500, and regional bar association directories. Its methodology combines elements found in professional evaluations used by American Bar Association sections, National Association of Attorneys General offices, and law firm marketing practices from firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Baker McKenzie, and Latham & Watkins. Editorial distribution channels include legal periodicals analogous to The American Lawyer, Law360, and local business journals similar to Crain Communications publications.

Selection Process

Candidates are identified through peer nominations, third-party research, and peer evaluations, with a patented or proprietary scoring system used to combine quantitative and qualitative data. The process references career milestones comparable to appointments found in announcements from the United States Supreme Court, judicial elections like those in New York State, academic honors akin to positions at Harvard Law School or Yale Law School, and recognition by organizations such as National Trial Lawyers or the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Peer evaluation often involves attorneys who have appeared before state supreme courts, federal district courts like the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and appellate tribunals including the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Independent research may consider filings and outcomes in cases reported by outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and legal reporting services similar to Reuters.

History and Organization

Founded in 1991 by Tom Pollack, the organization grew alongside shifts in legal marketing and directory publishing during the 1990s and 2000s. Its corporate home and publishing operations share characteristics with specialty publishers analogous to Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg L.P. divisions that focus on professional rankings. Over time, the enterprise expanded to produce state-by-state lists and practice-area designations reflecting litigation, transactional, and regulatory specialties encountered in venues like U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and practice areas regulated under statutes such as the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Leadership and advisory structures have included editorial boards and panels similar to those convened by National Association for Law Placement and state bar sections.

Criticisms and Controversies

Super Lawyers has faced criticism regarding transparency, conflicts of interest, and the commercial use of attorney listings. Critics compare its model with controversies involving directories and rankings like Best Lawyers and disputes over lawyer advertising regulated by state bar disciplinary rules, including matters addressed by the New York State Bar Association and the California State Bar. Questions have been raised about the influence of paid advertising in legal publications and the potential for pay-to-play dynamics observed in other industries represented by organizations such as Forbes and Fortune. Legal ethicists and commentators citing decisions from courts including the Supreme Court of California and the New Jersey Supreme Court have debated whether ranking endorsements intersect with rules on misleading communications and professional conduct.

Impact and Reception

The lists are used by clients, in-house counsel at corporations like General Electric and Pfizer, and recruiting teams at law firms such as Jones Day and Sidley Austin when vetting outside counsel. Media outlets covering high-profile litigation—reporters at The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and legal blogs like Above the Law—frequently reference named attorneys from various directories in profiles. Academic commentators from institutions like Columbia Law School and Stanford Law School have analyzed the role of rankings in shaping professional reputations and market positioning, while bar groups including the American Association for Justice have noted both benefits and drawbacks of directory recognition for litigators and transactional attorneys alike.

Notable Honorees

Over the years, attorneys listed in Super Lawyers directories have included high-profile litigators, corporate counsel, and public officials who also appear in contexts involving figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, and litigators who have argued before the United States Supreme Court. Honorees have included partners from major firms like Kirkland & Ellis, Sullivan & Cromwell, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, and in-house counsel from corporations such as Microsoft and Apple Inc.. Other named attorneys have held positions in government similar to roles at the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general offices such as the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Recognized trial lawyers have appeared in cases reported by Bloomberg, Associated Press, and have lectured at venues like American Bar Association conferences and law schools including Georgetown University Law Center and New York University School of Law.

Category:Legal organizations in the United States