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"Best Lawyer" Rankings and Publications Draw Readers, But are They Really Valuable?

Popularity contests. They're fun to follow, but do they really add any weight in the legal world?

Rich Baer, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer of Qwest, Communications, takes a good, hard look at so called "super lawyers" in a recent posting on his blog, Reliance on Counsel. Baer's post is straightforward and thought-provoking.

Do inhouse lawyers really take "best lawyer" rankings into account when they make hiring decisions?

The answer: Yes and no, according to Baer.

Here's his take:

"Once, years ago, long before the "best lawyer" publications became prevalent, we were looking for an attorney with a very unique specialty. I went on the Internet and found a lawyer who was ranked one of the top attorneys in that specialty by a magazine written for directors of public companies. Sure enough, she turned out to be superb and we continue to work with her today, almost a decade later. That was the first and last time I ever paid attention to these rankings. There are just so many lists these days and they all contain at least a few selections that are such head-scratchers that I find it hard to take them seriously."

And then there's the question general counsel may ask themselves: Why aren't any of my outside counsel on these lists?

It's a double-edged sword. Pay attention to this stuff and you begin wonder...

There is no value in these rankings. Sure, they're fun to read and good for fodder... but take stock in your own value and what you add to your firm, clients, and colleagues around you. That is most important.

More resources from Top Lawyer Coach:

Leadership Essentials for a Healthy Inhouse Culture

Look at Who's in Demand for Inhouse Counsel Positions

Honest Talk from Inhouse Counsel about their Outside Firms

Compensation Up for Inhouse Division General Counsel