Awards announcements seem to saturate attorney marketing. Although publicizing an award can be a great opportunity to advertise yourself and your firm, it should be done with care and purpose. Keep reading for five things to consider when advertising your latest attorney award.

1. Is this award worth publicizing?

There is no right answer to this. 

There are a myriad of different awards and accolades available to attorneys and law firms, and it may not be beneficial to advertise all of the honors that you receive. Sometimes, advertising an award that is not highly regarded in the industry or is inconsequential compared to your reputation and experience, can attract more criticism than respect. People in the industry know that some honors are harder to get than others, and the more weight that an award has, the more respect it will garner. 

That said, your audience is not necessarily people who are knowledgeable about attorney awards. Awards that may not hold a lot of weight in the legal industry could hold particular appeal to your clients or potential clients, and could be very valuable advertising. Also, lawyers and law firms who are just starting out will inevitably hold less honors and accolades than long-established attorneys, and therefore may want to publicize any recognition that they receive. 

You can also consider advertising non-legal and non-professional honors. While “best lawn in the neighborhood” may not be something you want to add to your LinkedIn profile, a lifetime award for services to your alma mater may be. Consider what is important to you and to your audience when deciding what to shout from the rooftops.

2. Award advertising guidelines

Organizations that bestow awards in the legal industry often have their own advertising guidelines. When you publicize an award on your website or elsewhere, you should comply with these guidelines, or you may be penalized by the organization and prohibited from advertising the honor. For example, the well-known Martindale-Hubbell requires that an internet advertisement of their rating is accompanied by the below text, and either a specific explanation of the rating or a link to the Martindale-Hubbell explanation:

 “AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell DistinguishedSM and Martindale-Hubbell NotableSM are Certification Marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies.”

 Martindale-Hubbell, Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers all publish their advertising guidelines online. 

3. State ethics requirements

All attorney advertising is regulated by your state bar, and legal ethics rules apply. An attorney who breaches rules of professional conduct risks penalties such as fines, public censure, or even disbarment, and it is the attorney (not the marketing department) that will be held responsible.

You will need to review the specifics of the professional conduct rules in all of the states in which you are practicing and licensed to ensure compliance. Most states prohibit any statement that is not objectively verifiable, such as “X is the Best Lawyer in the state,” but will allow “X has been recognized by Best Lawyers®.” Where the award recognizes your work in a specific year, geographic location, or practice area, that should be stated.

Some states have very specific requirements. For example, the Supreme Court of New Jersey recently introduced a requirement that attorney awards, honors, and accolades may only be referenced when the basis for the comparison can be verified and the organization has made adequate inquiry into the fitness of the individual lawyer. New Jersey also requires all of the following in proximity to any reference to the award:

• a description of the standard or methodology on which the award, honor, or accolade is based, either in the advertising itself or by reference to a convenient, publicly available source
• the name of the comparing organization that issued the award
• the disclaimer: “No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.”

Check your state’s professional conduct rules. It is your responsibility.

4. Award announcements should not be your only content

You know the post. You haven’t seen any content from someone for months until an award announcement appears in your feed. It usually goes something like this: 

 “I am honored and humbled to have been selected as [insert award and hyperlink to news release.]”

It’s not that this is a bad announcement. It’s just that it should not be the only content you share. You are an award-winning attorney, and you have valuable information to share. To achieve thought leadership and a successful digital presence, you should be producing content that adds value for your target audience and for S.E.O. purposes. A succession of awards announcements will not attract interest (from real people or algorithms) nor drive business to your firm. 

5. Where should you publicize your awards?

In our digital age, publicizing your award on multiple platforms is relatively easy and cost-efficient. Print advertisements in local press or industry publications, and fliers or billboards are also still useful options for some firms. 

How you advertise your award will depend on your local market, the type of law you practice, your budget, the standing of the award, and other factors. For example, a car accident attorney may get more business from announcing “Auto Accident attorney, X, selected to Super Lawyers” on a highway billboard than on their LinkedIn page. A firm seeking to attract business as local counsel for bigger firms and companies could benefit from publicizing awards in national or international industry publications rather than local. And, of course, the internet has global reach. Industry websites (whether the legal industry or your target client’s industry,) LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets are cost-efficient and effective ways to advertise. 

Don’t forget – awards should almost always be announced in the firm news section of your website, and listed on your attorney bio page, which should be kept up to date! 

When you receive notification of that next award, think twice before clicking “share” and forgetting about it. You may be able to increase the value you offer your audience, and the value you get from the award, by taking a little time to optimize what you share, and how you share it.