Voting in Best Lawyers is a privilege bestowed to all top-rated lawyers recognized worldwide in both the traditional Best Lawyers awards and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
Recognition by Best Lawyers is widely regarded within the legal market as a singular honor conferred on a lawyer by their peers. It is the mark of true talent, acclaim and respect in the profession, and we are proud to uphold this time-honored tradition. Voting is a unique opportunity to offer Purely Peer Review® feedback about colleagues, which is the mainstay of our methodology. After all, we believe that the Best Lawyers truly know who the Best Lawyers are.
Cast Your Best Lawyers Vote
Invitations to vote are sent on Monday mornings by email to eligible voters. Additionally, voters can access their personalized ballots through their Best Lawyers account anytime. A Best Lawyers research representative can also resend online ballots at any time.
To offer voting lawyers and firm marketing contacts more insight into the process, we have compiled this informative list to answer common questions that voting may present. If there are any additional questions or concerns surrounding the process, we encourage you to contact us at info@bestlawyers.com.
Ballots may only be open for a limited time, but we at Best Lawyers are always here and ready to assist.
Regions Where Voting Is Currently Open:
Voting for Best Lawyers is currently open in three major regions. Below are the regions and the voting periods in which honorees can access their customized ballots.
Region: Europe
European countries currently in a voting period: France, Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
Voting period: 17 January 2023 to 28 February 2023
Region: The United Kingdom
Voting Period: 23 January 2023 to 28 February 2023
Region: The United States
Voting Period: January 30, 2023 to April 1, 2023
Don’t see your region? Check out our Research Timelines page for details about when your specific country’s voting period will begin.
The FAQs Answered For You
Who is invited to vote?
Lawyers currently recognized by Best Lawyers in the most recent edition in their region are invited to vote in the upcoming edition of Best Lawyers. Additionally, recognized and nominated lawyers in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch are eligible to vote. Please contact us if you have not received a voting email and believe you should have.
When can you vote?
During your region’s open voting period dates, ballots remain accessible anytime, day or night. Typically, a voting period runs from six weeks to two months, depending on your specific region.
Where do you vote?
All eligible voters are sent a customized ballot, including nominees practicing in similar specialties and nearby locations as the voting lawyer. The ballots links are accessible in three main ways:
- Through personal emails sent to voters from Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer
- All eligible voters will receive an email invitation to vote from Best Lawyers at the start of the voting period. We will continue to reach out via email to eligible voters who have not yet participated during the voting cycle. Once a voter participates, they will no longer receive reminders to vote.
- Through a lawyer’s Best Lawyers account
- All eligible voters have access to their own personal account on www.bestlawyers.com, which includes access to their ballot. Logging in to your account will offer you several menu options, including access to your ballot. This section will remain open through the voting period.
- Through Excel and phone interviews
- Voters are welcome to vote via Excel. Your personal Excel ballot is downloadable from your online ballot link.
- Additionally, we are happy to schedule interviews for voting by phone. For assistance with either of these options, please reach out to info@bestlawyers.com to request an Excel ballot or schedule a call.
Why should you vote?
The Best Lawyers methodology is based, first and foremost, on our Purely Peer Review® methodology. We know that the most thorough way to collect data about the qualifications and talent of other lawyers is from those who know their work best—their peers.
This opportunity is a privilege we offer to all lawyers currently recognized in Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. We believe the experience of these honorees speaks for itself.
To help consumers of legal services identify the best quality talent for their needs, we go to the industry experts for recommendations. While a clients might judge the caliber of a legal team’s work based on their overall satisfaction with a particular matter, lawyers themselves are uniquely capable of assessing professional conduct, courtroom strategy, negotiation tactics and more.
The honor of voting in Best Lawyers is representative of a Best Lawyers recognition, and we believe there is no better way to celebrate your legal success than by shaping future editions of Best Lawyers.
How can you provide feedback?
Ballots are electronic and housed through secure links on the Best Lawyers website. The fastest and most efficient way to provide feedback is by using your personal link. Voters are invited to provide feedback on candidates outside of their own firm, on competitor firms and on colleagues inside their firm.
Ballots are personalized based on the voter’s own practice areas and geographic region. Each ballot is organized by practice area, and under each are several eligible candidates. Due to the size of our nominee list, not every candidate appears on every ballot. Additionally, to ensure our data reflects the current opinions of the legal community, every candidate (even those previously recognized) must be voted on each year.
Feedback is collected by asking voters to tell us: “If you were unable to take a case, how likely would you be to recommend this person?” This allows voters to determine which other lawyers they view as the most talented, knowledgeable lawyers in the field. We provide each candidate's name and law firm and ask voters to offer a rating of 1-5, with the option to say a candidate is “unknown” or not known well enough to evaluate.
Please note that all votes remain strictly confidential to you and Best Lawyers. We will never share your votes.
Helpful Resources and Links
The Best Lawyers website houses several resources that offer lawyers and firms the best information for voting. Below are several links which you may find useful.
- Research Timelines offer all current research timelines for every region with an upcoming or ongoing edition of Best Lawyers. You can also download PDF versions for printing.
- Best Lawyers Methodology offers a full review of the entire Best Lawyers methodology and the process from start to finish.
- Expanded United States Methodology explains the methodology for the United States awards in depth in a printable PDF format.
- Expanded International Methodology explains the methodology in full for awards outside the U.S. in a printable PDF format.
- Expanded Methodology is also available in Spanish, French, German, Dutch and Portuguese.
Our Research Team is always here to assist with any and all voting questions. Please contact us at 803.648.0300 or info@bestlawyers.com.
