We’re at the midway point of the Chambers USA 2025 research schedule, so it’s a great time to quickly pause and take inventory.
Gearing up for the process can be a whirlwind: scheduling strategic conversations with group leaders, conducting interviews with attorneys, compiling compelling matter write-ups, researching client names and sending numerous follow-ups before uploading the completed submission.
However, you can’t lose sight that there is still work to be done after the forms are submitted; you should think of uploading the forms as the penultimate step in the Chambers process.
Here are the post-submission tasks to keep on your radar as the research process continues and deadlines approach.
Chambers Interviews
When the Chambers researcher receives your firm’s submission forms, they will begin to coordinate their interview calendar and reach out to request attorney interviews. They do not guarantee that every firm will receive a request — that depends on the volume of submissions received — and it’s important to know that an interview does not affect the firm or individual attorneys from being ranked. However, it is always a good opportunity for the firm to elaborate on what was submitted, provide any updates on the matters submitted or changes in the team, and give feedback on the marketplace in general.
If your firm is contacted by Chambers for an interview, here is what you should do.
1.Research your researcher: Chambers typically lists their researchers on its website, so you can get a sense of who will be covering your practice and speaking with your attorneys. Keep good notes of who is researching each practice and each state — if they cover a specific practice or region year after year, it’s a good opportunity to open a dialogue so they get to know you and your firm.
2.Take the time to prepare for the interview: The firm has already invested a lot in the submission, so make sure the attorney understands the importance of preparing for the interview. Provide the final submission for them to review so they have time to speak with their colleagues about any matters for which they may need more information— especially if a trial has concluded or a settlement has been reached. Flag any talking points, such as key differentiators, niche areas of work, etc., so the attorney can touch on those during the call. Provide them with links to the current rankings so they can speak about other ranked individuals and firms — or any they find to be glaring omissions from the table.
3.Encourage active participation: The researcher is speaking to numerous attorneys for this section, so think about what will help them understand what sets the firm apart. The attorney should be able to articulate how they provide exceptional service or have some data points that highlight growth. Engaging the researcher versus just responding to a standard set of questions can add some dimension to your firm’s submission.
If your firm is not contacted for an interview and you have updates to share, such as a positive resolution for a matter that was submitted as ongoing, you can contact the researcher assigned to your section to provide that information and generate some dialogue that way.
Referee Feedback and Follow-Up
It’s worth reiterating even if you’ve heard it before: One of the most important components of the Chambers research process is client feedback. The list of client referees and the response rate has a significant impact on a Chambers ranking. While we don’t recommend the approach, we have seen firms and individuals pull together a minimal submission but achieve a ranking thanks to a solid list of referees. This is not a typical result, but it highlights how important the spreadsheet is — and attorneys often seem to overlook its significance. Conversely, a strong submission with a short list of referees who may not fully respond can slow down the progress for an attorney or team striving to be ranked for the first time or achieving a higher ranking.
While you are in the in-between phase of preparing for the research process and planning for the remaining deadlines, here are some helpful steps to ensure your referees are enhancing your Chambers submission.
1.Give references the opportunity to opt in: While this is usually a pre-submission tip, we always recommend asking permission from your referees to provide their name and contact information — but if you didn’t do it on the front end, giving them notice is recommended. This opt-in approach is not only a timely touchpoint with a client or other industry contact; it also puts it on their radar so they can be on the lookout for the communication from Chambers. And remember, titles don’t matter to Chambers — make sure you’re putting somebody forward who will take the time to meet with the researcher and can speak about your work. It doesn’t have to be the CEO or a busy GC.
2.Send a reminder: Once the researcher is assigned for your section, send a follow-up email reminding your referees to be on the lookout for an email or phone call, and provide the name of the researcher they will be hearing from. You do not want them to mistakenly think the email is spam, so having a specific name to look for versus “an email from Chambers” is helpful.
3.Preparation: Prepare the referees for what the Chambers researcher might cover. Similar to the attorney interview, your contact will welcome a brief overview of what is being asked of them. You can include this in the initial request or in the follow-up, but feel free to reference high points in the relationship or any specific cases from the past 12 months that they could provide some positive feedback on as a prompt.
4.Gratitude: Sending a note of appreciation to the reference for their role in your success and their support in the process does not go unnoticed. Consider this particularly if an attorney or practice makes it into the rankings or moves higher in the bands.
Another important component of reference follow-up is checking in on the response rates. Firms with paid profiles can track this independently with the Chambers referee management tool to see when research started, when references were contacted, and current response rates. Firms without access to the tool should contact the researcher to request the response rates and determine whether additional outreach is necessary — they can tell you how many contacts have responded but will not provide the names of who has or has not responded to their communication. Response rates per submission are typically between 20–30 percent, so using this tactic as an extra nudge could help advance your firm’s Chambers goals.
Repurposing Content
Chambers submissions are packed with content that can be repurposed in many ways, including for cross-marketing throughout the firm. No legal marketing department is structured the same, so make sure that all members of your team are clued in where appropriate. If your business development team has not been involved in the process, they will appreciate the additional repository of matters. The same goes for your PR and social media professionals — there might be a specific niche area highlighted in an attorney’s bio or department overview that could be perfect for a pitch or to develop a Q&A series on LinkedIn about the unique focus area.
Matters written for Chambers not only tout the great work being done, but also outline how your attorneys are successful. These can be incorporated into practice group descriptions, biographies or — if appropriate — case studies on the firm website. Wins also should be highlighted and shared internally; they are good morale boosters and potentially an opportunity for cross-selling. The information compiled in the submissions is also important for RFPs, since marketing teams are always looking for more current examples of work being done to showcase in those forms.
From a rankings perspective, the best part of a Chambers submission is that the content can be repurposed for numerous other legal and business rankings. It’s important to read the requirements for each publication to ensure it’s a good fit, but having a selection of matters and practice descriptions is a helpful starting point as you evaluate various accolades throughout the year.
Now that we’ve addressed these key post-submission best practices, your Chambers submission for the year is complete. It’s time to enjoy the bit of calm after what seems to be the busiest time of the rankings season. At least until the cycle starts again!
If you need assistance with Chambers or any other rankings efforts at your firm, don’t hesitate to reach out to Mary Smith (mbsmith@jaffepr.com) or rankings@jaffepr.com. You can also find answers to common questions about Chambers in our blog, Submissions, DEI, Referees, and Competitiveness — Your Chambers Questions Answered.