Super lawyers

What Super lawyers does

Super Lawyers is a private U.S. legal rating service and attorney directory founded in 1991, headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, and operating as a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters. The company runs a patented multiphase selection process (U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,564) that combines peer nominations, independent research across 12 indicators of professional achievement, and blue ribbon panel peer evaluations to identify the top 5% of attorneys in each state annually, plus a parallel Rising Stars list for the top 2.5% of attorneys under 40 or with fewer than 10 years of practice. Coverage spans all 50 U.S. states through state-specific directories, regional print magazines, and a 175-page National Super Lawyers Magazine launching in 2026 that introduces a Top Firms List for firms with 10+ selected attorneys.

The platform is built around SuperLawyers.com, a free consumer-facing searchable directory, complemented by an Ask a Lawyer sponsored Q&A forum, an extensive library of legal resources covering 70+ practice areas, digital magazine archives dating to 2011, and award-winning editorial features. Underlying technology is a proprietary ratings engine and directory platform rather than a software product sold to third parties; no public API or developer tooling exists. The brand is one of seven legal directories (alongside Chambers, Legal 500, Best Lawyers, Martindale, Avvo, and Justia) that effectively control AI citations for consumer legal queries, per a 2026 joint research report.

The business model is a two-sided freemium marketplace monetized almost entirely on the attorney side. Selection to the Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists is free for attorneys and cannot be purchased; revenue comes from paid marketing solutions sold to selected attorneys and law firms — including digital badges, premium and expanded online profiles, TopSpot and Spotlight online advertising, print advertising (center spread, platinum profile, standard profile, display, POV, impact listing), the Legal Leader custom white paper service, and recognition merchandise on annual subscriptions and multi-year contracts. Distribution is direct sales for enterprise/marketing solutions, self-serve for consumers searching the directory, and regional plus national print magazines for attorneys. Customer concentration is low across a long tail of SMB and mid-market law firms.

Name

Super lawyers

Legal name

Super Lawyers

Website

https://superlawyers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Super Lawyers is a Thomson Reuters-owned U.S. legal rating service that selects the top 5% of attorneys per state via a patented peer-review process and monetizes through paid marketing solutions (profiles, ads, print magazines) sold to selected attorneys and law firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Directory Services

NAICS

All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

eDiscovery, Litigation Support & Legal Hold (BPAEAPAE)

Keywords

• Attorney rating service
• Legal directory platform
• Lawyer marketing solutions
• Peer recognition system
• Legal resource publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Marketing Solutions for Attorneys: Super Lawyers sells various marketing products to attorneys including digital badges, print advertising (center spread, platinum profile, standard profile, display advertising, POV), online advertising (premium online attorney profile, expanded profile, TopSpot, Spotlight, Ask Super Lawyers page), and recognition items (plaques, merchandise, anniversary collections). These are merit-based products that selected attorneys can purchase to promote their selection status.
2. Directory and Platform Access: Free directory access for consumers seeking legal representation. Attorneys selected to Super Lawyers lists receive free basic profile pages; premium profile upgrades and enhanced visibility products are available for purchase.
3. Legal Leader Content Marketing: Custom white papers and corresponding content marketing plans sold to attorneys and law firms to position them as thought leaders among peers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Super Lawyers operates a patented attorney rating service and directory that selects the top 5% of attorneys in each U.S. state through a multiphase selection process involving peer nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations. The company monetizes this curated directory primarily by selling marketing solutions (digital badges, enhanced online profiles, print and online advertising, recognition merchandise, and custom content marketing) to selected attorneys and law firms, while consumers access the directory free of charge.

Product overview

Super Lawyers is a lawyer rating and directory service that operates as a platform with multiple integrated products. The core offering is the Super Lawyers Directory, which uses a patented multiphase selection process (U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,564) to identify the top 5% of attorneys in each state, complemented by the Rising Stars sub-brand for attorneys under 40 or with less than 10 years experience. The platform offers marketing solutions including Digital Badges, Online Profiles (Premium, Expanded, and Firm), TopSpot and Spotlight advertising, and print advertising options (Center Spread, Platinum Profile, Standard Profile, Display Advertising, Impact Listing, POV). Additional products include the National Super Lawyers Magazine (launching 2026), Digital Magazines, Attorney Feature Articles, Ask a Lawyer forum, Legal Leader content marketing, Legal Articles and Resources covering 70+ practice areas, and Recognition Items merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rising Stars: A complementary list recognizing the top 2.5% of attorneys who are either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.
• National Super Lawyers Magazine

Products and services

• Super Lawyers Directory A searchable rating service and directory of attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, featuring detailed profiles of top attorneys across all 50 U.S. states in a wide variety of legal practice areas. Free for consumers to search and browse.
• Rising Stars A separate recognition list identifying the top 2.5% of attorneys who are 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less, in each state. Functions as a sub-brand recognition program with its own directory listings.
• Ask a Lawyer Forum A consumer-facing legal Q&A forum where Super Lawyers selected attorneys provide sponsored answers to legal questions from potential clients, generating leads for participating attorneys.
• Marketing Solutions for Attorneys A bundled suite of paid marketing products sold to selected attorneys and law firms, including digital badges, premium online profiles (Premium Online Attorney Profile, Expanded Online Attorney Profile, Premium Online Firm Profile), online advertising placements (TopSpot, Spotlight), and print advertising in regional Super Lawyers magazines (Center Spread, Platinum Profile, Standard Profile, Display Advertising, Impact Listing, POV).
• National Super Lawyers Magazine A 175-page print and digital publication providing national visibility to distinguished attorneys and law firms, featuring a new Top Firms List recognizing firms with 10 or more selected attorneys in a primary practice area.
• Legal Leader Content Marketing Custom white paper and content marketing plan service for attorneys and law firms to position themselves as thought leaders among peers.
• Recognition Items Physical commemorative merchandise including plaques, marquees, and framed certificates for attorneys to display their Super Lawyers selection status.
• Digital Magazines Online digital editions of Super Lawyers regional magazines dating back to 2011, browsable by year and region, featuring selected attorneys.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 5% of attorneys selected in each state annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Haute Lawyer NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Research collaboration partner in joint reports on legal industry trends, including the 2026 AI citations report. Not a commercial partnership.
• 5W Public RelationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-published the 2026 research report on AI citations and legal directories. Research collaboration rather than commercial partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Martindale-Hubbell: One of the seven dominant legal directories identified in the 2026 AI citations report, owned by LexisNexis. Operates a peer-review based attorney rating system (AV Preeminent) and directory closely comparable to Super Lawyers in methodology and customer base.
• Legal 500: International legal directory with attorney and law firm rankings across practice areas and jurisdictions, one of the seven directories controlling AI citations. Comparable to Super Lawyers in methodology and market positioning.
• Avvo: Legal directory with proprietary attorney rating algorithm, also named as one of the seven directories controlling AI citations. Owned by Martindale-Avvo within LexisNexis, competing directly with Super Lawyers for attorney marketing spend and consumer legal search traffic.
• LawInfo: Legal directory and lead generation platform owned by Internet Brands. Competes with Super Lawyers in connecting consumers with attorneys and offering lead-generation marketing solutions to law firms.
• Justia: Legal information platform offering attorney directories, legal Q&A, and marketing services. One of the seven directories identified as controlling AI citations, with overlapping consumer-facing directory traffic and attorney marketing offerings.
• Best Lawyers: Peer-review based attorney recognition service and one of the seven dominant legal directories. Operates a comparable selection methodology and serves the same attorney marketing and consumer legal search use cases as Super Lawyers.
• Lawyers.com: Consumer-facing legal directory owned by Martindale-Avvo (LexisNexis). Provides attorney search functionality comparable to SuperLawyers.com and targets the same consumer demand for vetted legal representation discovery.
• Chambers and Partners: International legal directory publishing attorney and law firm rankings, identified as one of the seven directories controlling AI citations. Competes with Super Lawyers particularly in the higher-end law firm segment and provides international geographic reach.

Broad incumbents

• FindLaw: Owned by Thomson Reuters (Super Lawyers' parent company), FindLaw is a broader legal marketing platform offering attorney websites, SEO, and directory listings. Operates as a sibling brand within the same parent portfolio, targeting overlapping law firm marketing customers.

Emerging players

• Nolo: Consumer-facing legal information platform offering do-it-yourself legal products, attorney directory, and educational content. Provides partial overlap with Super Lawyers' consumer legal resources and directory offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SuperLawyers
• Facebookfacebook.com/SuperLawyers
• Instagraminstagram.com/superlawyers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Super lawyers