International legal awards 2026
The calendar for the 2026 edition, from submission to publication.
Photo: Juan Pablo / Unsplash
One calendar, the same for every firm
The Global Law Awards 2026 follow a fixed annual calendar, so every firm has the same time to prepare and no firm gains from entering late. Submissions for the 2026 edition close on 31 October 2026. Research, referencing and scoring follow, editors review the drafts under embargo, and results are published on 15 December 2026. Entries received after the deadline are held for the 2027 edition.
An entry asks for the practice area and jurisdiction, at least three representative matters described at a level a peer would recognise, and at least two client or peer referees. No confidential client details are needed. Entering creates a free account where a firm can follow its references and see its result on publication day.
Assessment is the same for every firm. Six weighted criteria, an evidence floor before any band is published, and at least three returned references from two or more organisations for Band 1. Research software helps prepare each assessment, and an editor confirms every placement. A firm may ask for a review; an editor who did not make the decision answers in writing within 28 days.
Four steps from submission to ranking
Put your firm's work forward. Our research team gathers the evidence, and editors make the final decision.
Submit your work
Start with your name, firm and work email, and we email you a link that opens your entry. There, tell us where your firm practises, describe representative matters in one practice area and name at least two client or peer referees.
We gather references
Our team contacts referees in confidence and checks what the firm says against public sources. A firm never sees what a referee said.
Your evidence is assessed
Research software drafts an assessment against six weighted criteria. An editor reviews the evidence and confirms every placement.
Results are published
Results are published on 15 December 2026. Every firm that entered is told its outcome directly.
Asked and answered
01When is the deadline for the 2026 edition?
Submissions close on 31 October 2026. Results are published on 15 December 2026. A submission received after the deadline is held for the 2027 edition.
02What happens between the deadline and results day?
Our team gathers confidential references and checks the evidence, each submission is scored against the six criteria, and editors review and confirm every placement under embargo.
03Will I hear the outcome if my firm is not ranked?
Yes. Every firm that entered is told the outcome directly. There is no public list of firms that were not ranked, and a firm may enter again next edition.
More on the Global Law Awards
- Global Law Awards 2026Dates, criteria and how to enter
- Rankings and resultsBy jurisdiction and practice area
- The methodologyCriteria, evidence, conflicts and appeals
- Global legal awards
- International law firm awards
- International lawyer awards
- Law firm rankings 2026
- Global law firm rankings
- Lawyer of the Year awards
- Top law firms in the world
Put your firm's work forward
Open to firms of every size, in every jurisdiction. No fee to enter.