The inaugural edition of Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation was the product of several years of research and reflection on whether there is anything new to say about the next generation of legal leaders in America and around the world. Happily, we found a wonderland of amazing new talent specializing in practices old and new with fresh energy and perspective.
We created the guide using as our foundation the Lawdragon selection process created over 35 years of researching and reporting on the legal profession and creating 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 accept submissions and review them alongside thousands of candidates we identify and consider for each guide. We also work with editorial advisors in each substantive area to develop the focus of the guide and identify talent.
For LDX500, we consider nominations alongside thousands of lawyers who’ve proven themselves early in private practice, accruing credentials, deals and cases early and often. The majority of lawyers have been in practice between seven and 15 years. They graduated from dozens of law schools, proving great talent comes from everywhere.
Most of those recognized are partners in their firms, most often elevated in the past few years. They are emerging in leadership positions in their practice and firm.
Lawdragon is a passionate advocate for inclusion and equal opportunity. It’s refreshing to see how many law firms have embraced those values in their young partner corps. The array of new talent represented in essentially every practice at the nation’s top firms – plaintiff as well as corporate – is astounding.
And, finally, what LDX500 gets right, we think, is all private practice is included here. So, with huge apologies to fabulous lawyers in academia, government, judiciary, public interest and other arenas, we’re incredibly proud of the mash up of those who sue and those who defend; those who are brought together to help companies find a way forward; and those who parse technological developments to ensure they are safe and create pathways to the future.
Thank you for your interest in Lawdragon.