Scala attend the Chambers 360 Event ahead of Legal Directory Submissions 2025

As a marketing consultancy specialising in the legal sector, Scala recently attended the Chambers 360 event at The Law Society in London.

Client Director Carly Cotton, Account Manager Ann-Marie Lowe, and Marketing Executive Ben Sollitt joined other legal marketing professionals to meet the Chambers UK research team and gain valuable insights on improving submissions and understanding the latest developments in the rankings process.

How to craft the perfect legal directory submission

As always, the most important thing to remember when crafting a legal directory submission is that a strong case highlight is clear, concise, and to the point. Focus on showcasing the most relevant and high-quality work and emphasising expertise in innovative and complex matters.

Some Key Tips:

• Use the Chambers template and stick to concise descriptions and stick to the word limit.
• Ensure case highlights align with the practice area definition and be succinct. In the first sentence say what happened in the case and why it was important.
• Where possible, showcase a variety of work, including significant cases in terms of size, but also cases that reflect the scope of your services and any innovations for clients.
• When relevant, include the monetary value of cases. This helps researchers gauge the significance and complexity of the work being undertaken.
• Avoid focussing on awards; researchers are primarily interested in the quality of the work.
• Take a strategic approach by nominating a mix of both established professionals and emerging talent. If you have someone you consider a ‘Rising Star’, encourage them to submit their work and focus on refining current submissions to maintain and improve rankings where possible. It’s essential to carefully choose who you put forward, so take a thoughtful and strategic view when making your selections.

Refining the ‘About Us’ Section for Maximum Impact

Chambers provided guidance on how to optimise the "About Us" section, which plays a key role in distinguishing your firm or individual barristers from competitors. This section should provide a clear and concise summary of why your team is uniquely qualified in its practice area, highlight any structural changes, and showcase new talent within the team.

Some Key Tips:

• Focus on what makes your team a strong fit for the practice area.
• Highlight any promotions or new additions to your team.
• Provide a brief overview of your team’s structure and how it supports success in submissions.

Remember, researchers are distinguishing between "the good, great, and the very best," so it’s crucial to highlight work that sets you apart from your competitors.

Referees

Referees play a crucial role in the Chambers research process, with 50% of delegates agreeing that selecting the right referees is essential. It is vital to choose referees who are likely to provide positive and detailed feedback on each case. Those familiar with the submitted case should be prioritised, but it is important to consider that senior figures may have limited availability. Engaging slightly less senior but more responsive referees can often be a more effective strategy.

Diversity is also a key aspect of the process, as researchers aim to engage with a broader cross-section of the legal sector. This not only allows for a deeper understanding of the individuals and firms involved but also provides a more comprehensive view of the legal market as a whole.

Some Key Tips:

• Contact referees to notify them that they are likely to receive communications from Chambers. This can help prevent any issues with email firewalls or blocking.
• Stay in regular contact with your referees throughout the submission process to encourage prompt engagement with the researcher and flag any potential issues.
• Prompt your referees to provide specific examples of the individuals/firm’s strengths and what sets them apart.
• Carefully assess which referees are likely to have the time and willingness to engage with the process effectively before submitting your final referee list.
• Aim for a diverse group of referees to capture a broader perspective of the legal sector. Researchers are particularly focussed on increasing representation among women and individuals with protected characteristics, so including a varied cross-section will enhance the quality of the feedback.
• Anonymous references tend to be treated with caution.

Chambers & Partners Referee Management Tool

The referee management tool provides significant advantages for marketing teams involved in the legal directories process. This paid product offers invaluable insights into feedback and response rates, allowing firms and individuals to monitor which referees are engaging with the process and swiftly identify any potential issues.

By leveraging this tool, marketing teams can take prompt action to reach out to referees directly or encourage individual lawyers and barristers to contact their referees to check for any firewall or availability issues. If there are recurring problems with emails not being received, referees can be urged to email the relevant researcher directly to avoid missing the feedback deadline.  It is also possible to see which referees have opted out of the process, giving you chance to either contact them or chose another referee.

Furthermore, the referee management tool can serve as an additional resource for marketing teams, providing critical insights into client satisfaction. By tracking responses, firms can pinpoint areas for improvement in client relationships and help inform future business development initiatives. These insights also enable more tailored approaches for future submissions, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of the legal directory process and fostering stronger client engagement.

Using Chambers and Partners Data and Insights for Future Submissions

From Spring 2025, Chambers will introduce enhanced data and metrics to provide firms with deeper insights into the legal landscape and the factors influencing rankings. This new functionality will allow firms to better understand trends within the legal sector, ultimately improving their submission strategy.

Key Features:

• Access to more detailed data on ranking decisions.
• Insights into how trends in the legal market impact rankings.
• The ability to optimise future submissions based on these insights.

This improved access to data will allow firms to take a more strategic approach to their directory submissions, focussing on areas where they can add the most value and addressing any gaps in their previous submissions.

Submission Deadlines and Research Timelines

As always, Chambers & Partners emphasised the critical importance of adhering to submission deadlines, especially concerning referee feedback. While there may be some leeway with submission dates, it’s essential that referees are submitted on time. The moment the deadline arrives, researchers will start reaching out to referees!

Key Features:

• Communicate any potential delays as soon as possible.
• Ensure referees are submitted promptly, as their feedback is vital for the research process.

Additional Information about legal directory submissions

• If you are listed as a "potential" in the Chambers rankings, researchers will scrutinise your future submissions more closely. Use this opportunity to strengthen your position and prove you’re more than just a flash in the pan! It is worth remembering that new submission can sometimes take 2-3 attempts to be ranked, so don’t give up if you do not get ranked first time.
• If an individual has been on parental leave, ensure this is clearly indicated in this year’s submission. This will ‘freeze’ their current ranking, ensuring their absence does not negatively impact future submissions.
• If a case is confidential and you’ve marked it as such, it will remain strictly confidential. There is no need to shy away from submitting confidential matters, as Chambers researchers treat them with the highest level of discretion, and such information will never be disclosed. If any element of your highlight is confidential, use the confidential section.

Chambers & Partners’ New Online Submission Platform

Chambers & Partners will be launching its new online submission platform on 17^th October 2024, accessible via the 'My Account' portal. This feature allows you to submit entries and referees directly, aiming to make the process more flexible and manageable. It also speeds up submissions and enables you to easily track progress, ensuring you don't miss deadlines.

It's important to note that you can still submit via the traditional Word or Excel spreadsheets if that method suits you better. Choose whichever option works best for you.

Legal Directory Submissions for the 2026 rankings

The Chambers 360 event provided invaluable insights on the evolving nature of legal directory submissions. By focussing on producing high-quality entries, effectively managing referees, and leveraging new data insights, legal marketing teams can significantly enhance their chances of securing higher rankings in future Chambers assessments.

Chambers & Partners has now released its UK Bar submission deadlines, with several regional and practice areas accepting entries only until 26^th November 2024.

At Scala, we specialise in assisting lawyers and barristers in crafting compelling legal directory submissions, ensuring their expertise is expertly showcased and recognised.

From creating standout entries to managing deadlines, we’re here to simplify the entire process for you.

Contact us today on 0114 4070159 to discuss how we can support your next submission.