Success in awards pursuits can be tremendously beneficial for a law firm and its attorneys. These kinds of recognitions can elevate a legal practice, enhance credibility, highlight strengths and celebrate differentiators. With the growing number of awards and rankings programs spanning different practice areas, industries and geographies, the opportunities seem endless.
That being said, success in any recognition program requires intentionality, discretion and time. Before you dive into the very deep awards seas, read on for some key considerations, best practices and tips.
Do
Vet the Awards Program
This should be, without a doubt, step one. For every reputable awards program, there are probably double the number of disreputable programs in existence. Think I’m exaggerating? Check out FirmWise’s Spammy Awards & Network List as evidence!
Tell a Compelling Story
Imagine that you are an awards committee reviewing submission no. 889… you just might be getting sleepy. What is the best way to keep a judge engaged and present when reading your submission? Tell a story that will distinguish your candidate from the rest.
When drafting your nomination, make a point of sharing a story that truly presents a memorable, striking snapshot of who your attorney is and why they should be selected. Many candidates will be presented as “client-centric,” “innovative,” “detail-oriented” and “prolific,” but can you go the extra mile with a story that affirms those claims?
For example, perhaps you are trying to convey the point that your law firm demonstrates extraordinary client service. Why not tell a story of the time your candidate dropped everything to fly cross-country on a moment’s notice over the weekend to advise a client whose business was in critical need? Perhaps you wish to demonstrate the impact your candidate has had on the local community. Can you share the tale of a recycling program the candidate implemented at their child’s elementary school that required them to dress up as the program mascot?
Anecdotes such as these can speak volumes and paint a vivid picture of who your candidate is, both personally and professionally.
Highlight Statistics and Quantify Impact
Work with your candidate to pinpoint their recent accomplishments, quantifying these when possible. Have they brought five new clients to the firm in the past five years? Did they identify a need or opportunity and take the initiative to establish a new practice group in response? Did they save a client $2 million in legal fees by offering an alternative to litigation? Numbers can pack a substantial punch.
Format and Organize Effectively
In a nomination, complete sentences are not always necessary. Bullets and numbers can be extremely effective in an award submission, particularly to break up longer paragraphs or sections.
Include Third-party Perspectives
Often, a third party just says it best. If it’s possible to garner support from a third-party source, such as a candidate’s client, colleague or team leader, we strongly encourage including their commentary. Reference letters are nice, but a few sentences describing exactly what sets your candidate apart can be equally (or more) powerful.
Repurpose
When investing (yes, awards entries are investments) such effort to detail your candidate’s accomplishments and impact, let the hard work do some overtime. If there are opportunities to repurpose language from an award nomination, don’t hesitate to do so. Perhaps it’s for an attorney’s bio, a board application, LinkedIn profile or prospecting pitch materials. Words are powerful, and the time spent crafting something excellent should be leveraged.
Don’t
Submit on a Whim
With the volume of awards programs that exists, it may be tempting to take the “throw everything at it and see what sticks” approach. However, it’s been said that anything worth having is worth fighting for, and that definitely applies to prestigious awards programs. The ABA, state and regional bar associations, Law360, Chambers, and ALM are just a few of the legal industry organizations that run highly esteemed (and, subsequently, highly competitive) awards programs. Pursuits of this caliber are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Ask yourself: Is this worth the time and effort it will require to complete? Do I have a candidate who truly has the credentials to outshine competitors?
Submit Blindly
When making the go/no-go decision, it can be helpful to review winners from years past to determine whether the candidate you have in mind measures up. Sometimes it’s more sensible to pass than to pursue. Other times, your candidate is deserving and qualified in every way, so it’s a matter of accurately and effectively conveying that in your submission.
Be Humble
There is a time and place for humility. A nomination form is not one of them. Understandably, it can be difficult for an attorney to express or pinpoint why they deserve one award or another. In conducting an intake call for an award submission process, aim to gather intel about what they think their clients appreciate about working with them.
Pay to Play
At Jaffe, nothing sets off alarm bells like an awards program that costs money.
Be Long-Winded
Often, nomination forms dictate a strict word count maximum and many submission portals will simply cut off an essay response that doesn’t adhere to the length restriction. Use your words carefully and strategically.
Get Discouraged
To quote the late singer and actress Aaliyah, “if at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again (try again).” We often submit nominations for a candidate several years in a row before having success. Award committee decisions are not personal nor are they an indication of a candidate’s worth. There are so many practitioners accomplishing incredible feats and giving back in tremendous ways that it can take time for a worthy nomination to find success.
These considerations just barely skim the surface of the legal award submission game. If you would like to discuss specific opportunities, ideas or the nomination process in general, feel free to contact me, Bethany Chieffallo, at bchieffallo@jaffepr.com.