As you might expect, my job brings me into contact with a myriad of different legal directories, surveys, listings, and rankings.
Over the years, I have gotten to know most of the publications and products out there that rank, analyze and measure law firm activity.
Some are more accessible than others, but even the less well known and small-scale operations usually have a contact person or phone number to enable you to find out more.
However, a source of mystery to me over the years has been the United States Lawyer Rankings.
I first came across this site around 2006 or 2007, and have struggled to find out much more since.
According to the site itself:
Lawyers are nominated for inclusion in the United States Lawyer Rankings by members of the bar, judiciary and by the senior management of large corporate and institutional clients. Lawyers are not allowed to nominate themselves, nor any members of their own firm. Likewise, employees of a firm, including members of their marketing departments, are not allowed to nominate any members of their firm.”
So, who’s behind the site?
The United States Lawyer Rankings was established by a consortium of United States corporations in order to recognize those lawyers who have consistently provided the highest degree of legal representation”.
That doesn’t tell us much.
Intriguingly, United States Lawyer Rankings appears to have no revenue source:
Our main purpose is to provide guidance for those businesses and individuals seeking legal counsel, not to benefit the lawyers. Therefore, U.S. Lawyer Rankings does not distribute marketing materials, and has no contact with law firm marketing departments. United States Lawyer Rankings does not accept payments from lawyers, law firms, or third parties for advertisements, professional listings, bound volumes, subscriptions, webpage linking, or payments of any kind.”
This may explain why I’ve not been able to reach anyone at United States Lawyer Rankings.
The site does not offer a contact name, telephone number, or physical address, although there is an email.
Despite the opacity of the organization, a number of major AmLaw firms announce their inclusion in the United States Lawyer Rankings.
If anyone – either the publishers themselves or law firms – can shed any light on this curious legal rankings provider, please let me know.
I recently came across this ranking as well. Have you found out any additional information about the rankings/its backers since this post was published?
Sadly not, seems it’s a mystery