For law firms and their marketing teams, awards are a blessing and a curse. They can offer recognition and validation of the hard work and dedication that legal professionals put into their cases and services. They also come with a frenzy of deadlines, submissions, and the pressure to stand out among fierce competition.

Over my years as an editor at legal publications, I had a hand in managing, judging, and even creating awards for lawyers, law firms, and general counsel. As a consultant, I’ve seen the process from the other side, too, working with law firms to help strategize about awards they should pursue and assisting them in putting together nominations and submissions.

Given this experience, I thought it might be useful to discuss the impact of awards and a few practical tips midsize firm marketers might consider as they select awards and rankings to enter.

The Impact of Awards

Do awards drive new business for firms? I’m skeptical that they directly influence clients' hiring decisions. In talking with in-house counsel over the years, most say that they don’t look at awards when choosing their outside lawyers. (I have never known a GC to turn down an award when they win one.)

Instead, I would argue that awards are part of the cumulative story of a firm. A ranking or award from a reputable organization can serve as shorthand that the firm is legitimate and successful, and it contributes to the overall perception of a law firm’s credibility and expertise. Awards can also help influence how potential recruits or lateral partners view the firm. The fact that a firm is recognized as the best at something can attract talent, which, in turn, can influence how clients view the firm.

And the impact on morale should not be discounted. Lawyers don’t often get accolades for their work, so being nominated by the firm and having an independent body or respected publication recognize them can be inspiring and burnish their reputations for years to come. Consider my old publication, The National Law Journal named Hillary Clinton to its list of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America in 1988 and 1991. Clinton would mention the accolades in her biography for the next two decades.

Six Practical Tips

Here are a few tips that may help as you consider submitting for an award:

1. Follow the Rules: This may seem obvious, but it’s a step that many firms overlook. Most organizations have bespoke guidelines for submissions that can govern everything from the length of entries to file formats of documents submitted. Failing to adhere to these guidelines can cause unnecessary delays and frustrations for the organization judging your entry, which may not reflect well on your firm. Always take the time to thoroughly read and follow the submission instructions.

2. Be Honest: Some awards require firms to disclose both their successes and failures. While it may be tempting to gloss over any losses, being forthright about them can work in your favor. A candid approach demonstrates transparency and integrity, and it can also highlight how your firm navigated challenges and turned a potentially negative outcome into a learning experience.

3. Craft Compelling and Clear Narratives: The quality of writing in your award submission matters. Judges often sift through numerous entries, and the ones that stand out are those that tell a compelling story. Make sure your submission clearly articulates why your firm deserves to win, and focus on how your achievements align with the criteria set by the award. Strong, concise writing that gets to the point quickly can make a significant difference.

4. Choose Your Awards Wisely: Not all awards are created equal. Before investing time and resources into a submission, evaluate whether the award is reputable and whether it truly aligns with your firm’s goals. Look for awards that use rigorous vetting processes and peer reviews, as these tend to carry more weight with clients and potential hires.

5. Keep a Close Eye on the Calendar: Some of the most coveted awards and rankings have extensive nomination processes. You may be asked for significant detail, and you may need to extract information from various sources inside and outside your firm. This takes time, and if you’re trying to gather everything at the last minute, the quality of your submission may suffer. Realistically evaluate the scope of a nomination and build enough time in your calendar to complete it.

6. Losing Can Be Valuable, Too: Even with all of the work, a lawyer or firm may not be selected for recognition. This is especially true when the award is being offered by a reputable, long-established organization. Competition for these awards is usually fierce. That said, your efforts may provide other benefits. A well-crafted entry can put a firm or lawyer on the radar of an organization. In my own experience as an editor, reading awards entries helped me learn about attorneys, firms, and practices I had never considered before and led directly to asking lawyers to contribute to publications and to articles about their work.

A Marketing Tool

Ultimately, awards are about more than just a badge or a trophy; they are an opportunity to tell your firm’s story, showcase your achievements, and stand out in a competitive legal landscape. Once your firm has won an award, it’s important to leverage that

By being selective about which awards to pursue, following submission guidelines carefully, and crafting compelling narratives, law firms can increase their chances of winning—and reaping the rewards that come with that recognition.

Do you have questions, feedback, or topics you would like The Edge to cover? Send a note to david@good2bsocial.com.