Lawyer of the Year awards, and what we recognise instead
We do not name one Lawyer of the Year. Here is what we recognise, and why.
Photo: Aaron Burden / Unsplash
Defined tests instead of a single title
Lawyer of the Year titles are popular, and a single name is easy to announce. It is much harder to show how that name was chosen, which is why many such titles rest on nominations or paid entries. The Global Law Awards 2026 do not name a Lawyer of the Year. We recognise the work of a practice in a jurisdiction and practice area, because that is what clients and peers can speak to and what our editors can check.
Recognition comes in two forms. The first is a band, from Band 1 to Band 5, within a jurisdiction and practice area. The second is one of eight named designations with a defined test, such as Market Leader for the top-placed firm in a ranking table, Rising Star for a firm that has advanced two or more bands, or Highly Recommended for a firm whose client references average 4.5 of 5 or better from three or more organisations.
A ranked practice shows its result on its profile, linked to the public record, so the lawyers who built it can point to it. Entering is free for practices of any size, including sole practitioners. Submissions for 2026 close on 31 October 2026 and results are published on 15 December 2026.
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
01Why is there no Lawyer of the Year title?
A single title is hard to verify and easy to sell. Bands and designations rest on confidential references and defined tests that anyone can read in the methodology.
02Which designation is closest to a lawyer of the year award?
None is a personal title. Market Leader, National Leader and Highly Recommended mark the strongest evidence in a table, a country or from clients, and each is given to the practice the lawyers built.
03Where does a result appear?
On the public results pages for the edition, on the practice's profile and on its own verification page, which anyone can open to check it.
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
- International legal awards 2026
- Law firm rankings 2026
- Global law firm rankings
- 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.