The Lawdragon selection process has been created over 30 years of researching and reporting on the legal profession and creating lists and guides to the most effective legal professionals. Our team brings more than 100 years in the lawyer reporting and information business.
The foundation of our selection is in journalism. We research each guide extensively, studying which lawyers and law practices have had significant impact, including an emphasis on recent matters handled. We review cutting-edge litigation, and review the lawyers consistently turned to for help in those and other important matters. We accept submissions and review them alongside thousands of candidates we independently identify and consider for each guide. We also work with editorial advisors who specialize in litigation to identify and vet candidates.
To make a Lawdragon guide, a lawyer will have been in practice 10 years, with extremely rare exceptions. The regard in which one is held by peers is noted. We aim to include those lawyers who aspire to be and who are admired for their intellect and wisdom as well as conduct and leadership.
Those selected for the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America typically have decades of experience on their feet in leading roles in state or federal courts, before government agencies and international adjudicatory entities. Often, they are members of premier trial lawyer invite-only organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers or the American Board of Trial Advocates. We also take into account practice-specific expertise, such as prosecutorial experience for White Collar, or governmental experience for Antitrust. Leadership within the relevant practice within one’s firm and pertinent bar organizations is a factor. There is no shortcut, however, to leadership and meaningful contributions in contested matters, principally in a court of law.
Lawyers eligible for Leading Litigators derive principally from the defense side of the following litigation practices: Antitrust, Securities, Financial, Product Liability, Mass Tort, Intellectual Property, White Collar, Cybersecurity, Investigations and Real Estate.
There are a small handful of firms and lawyers who work both sides of the "V" and are eligible for consideration as leading litigators (significant work for corporations or on the defense side) as well as in our plaintiff guides (representation of individuals or businesses suing to enforce their rights). The lawyers selected for their work on both sides are truly remarkable advocates.
Lawdragon is an advocate for inclusion in the legal profession and searches extensively for female candidates and others who represent diversity.
Thank you for your interest in Lawdragon.