How to list your law firm internationally

1. Make sure the basics can be checked

Before listing anywhere, make sure a client abroad can confirm that you are licensed. Many regulators publish a register: Jamaica's General Legal Council publishes its list of practising attorneys, the Papua New Guinea Law Society runs a register of lawyers, and the Fiji Judiciary publishes the list of practitioners with a valid practising certificate. Use the same firm name, address and website everywhere, and keep a current certificate of good standing to hand.

2. Know the four kinds of listing

Regulator registers. Free and authoritative, but they confirm a licence, not what you do. Clients use them to check.

Research rankings. Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 rank leading firms after submissions and confidential interviews. Ranking is free but takes real work each cycle, and not every firm will be ranked. See our comparison of the main guides.

Directories and peer-rating platforms. Martindale-Hubbell, for example, is strongest in the United States. See Martindale-Hubbell and its alternatives.

International networks and associations. These connect firms across borders and pass work between members. Global Law Lists combines verified listings, a referral network and free editorial rankings, through the International Law Firm Association and the International Lawyers Association.

3. Write a profile a foreign client can use

Say plainly which jurisdictions you are admitted in, which languages you work in, and what matters you handle, with practice areas a client would search for. Add a direct phone number, an email that is answered, your office address and hours. On Global Law Lists every country law firm list shows a profile-completeness score, so a complete profile is visible to clients.

4. Get verified

Verification turns a listing into something a stranger can rely on. On Global Law Lists we confirm bar membership with the regulator, review disciplinary records, authenticate credentials and check proof of practice. You provide a current bar certificate, government photo ID and proof of practice; new applications are reviewed within five business days and re-verified every twelve months. The full process is in our methodology.

5. Enter the rankings

Rankings reward evidence, so start collecting it early: three or more representative matters per practice area and at least two referees (clients or peers, not your own lawyers). For the Global Law Lists 2026 edition, submissions close on 31 October and results publish on 15 December. It is free; see the Global Law Awards.

6. Keep it current

Update your profile when partners join or leave, when you open an office or add a practice area, and renew your practising certificate on time. Out-of-date profiles cost more enquiries than missing ones.