Law & Politics Selection Process

Law & Politics strictly adheres to a rigorous selection process directed at casting as wide a net as possible, evaluating quality in the most objective possible terms and verifying and validating all data. The only way a lawyer can be listed in Super Lawyers magazine is through this selection process. The determination of whether a lawyer will be placed on the Super Lawyers list is independent of advertising or any other payments.

No other legal publisher identifies qualified candidates by using a multi-step evaluation process that incorporates peer recognition and professional achievement. Law & Politics uses a system of nominations, peer evaluation and internal research, which acts as a system of checks and balances. The resulting product is a diverse and comprehensive listing of outstanding lawyers.

Step One: Creation of the Candidate Pool

Statewide survey of lawyers

• Law & Politics invited more than 18,000 Minnesota lawyers to participate in the nomination process.
• Lawyers were asked to nominate the best attorneys they've personally observed in action.
• Nominees need not be in private practice. Lawyers were able to nominate legal aid attorneys, prosecutors and in-house counsel.
• Lawyers were able to nominate attorneys in their own firm, but those nominations counted only if each in-firm nomination was matched by at least one out-of-firm nomination.
• Each nomination carried a point value. An out-of-firm vote had substantially greater point value than an in-firm vote.
• Lawyers were not allowed to vote for themselves.
• Utilizing our database, researchers kept track of who voted for whom, a process that helped detect attempts to manipulate the nomination process.

Independent candidate search

• Law & Politics' research department also searched for outstanding Minnesota lawyers by:
  –   Reviewing national and local periodicals as well as legal trade journals
  –   Searching professional databases and online sources
  –   Conducting in-person and telephonic meetings with law firms
• This step was designed to identify practitioners who may have been missed in the nomination process, particularly highly talented lawyers in specialty areas or those with low-visibility, yet high-quality, practices.

Step Two: Evaluation of Candidates

• Law & Politics' research department examined the background and experience of candidates, evaluating indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.
• Factors considered in evaluating candidates were:
  –   Verdicts and settlements
  –   Transactions
  –   Representative clients
  –   Experience
  –   Honors and awards
  –   Special licenses and certifications
  –   Position within law firm
  –   Bar and/or other professional activity
  –   Pro bono and community service
  –   Scholarly lectures and writings
  –   Education and employment background
  –   Other outstanding achievements

Step Three: Peer Evaluation by Practice Area

• Those candidates with high point totals from the nomination and qualitative evaluation steps were asked to be on a blue ribbon panel for their practice area.
• Panelists reviewed and evaluated candidates from their practice area.
• Panelists added candidates who were then passed along to research for evaluation.

Final Selection

• Law & Politics divided candidates according to their firm size: large, medium and small (size categories vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction), and selected those with the highest point totals from each category. Only 5 percent of the total lawyers in Minnesota are listed in Super Lawyers.

Before Publishing

• Law & Politics' research staff checked each candidate's standing with the local licensing authority.
• Candidates were asked to aver that they have not been subject to disciplinary or criminal proceedings, and to confirm the accuracy of contact and practice area information.
• Final Internet searches were performed on each candidate to ensure there were no outstanding matters that would reflect adversely on the lawyer.