Guide
The Chambers referee spreadsheet: rules, common errors and choosing referees
Referees are the clients and other contacts Chambers may interview about your work. Most Chambers guides now accept up to 30 per practice area, but some sections still cap the list at 20, the UK Bar guide takes 5 per barrister, and some USA Nationwide sections take none. Send the list on time in Chambers' template, and pick people who worked with your team in the past year and have agreed to speak.
The short answer
- Chambers calls 20–30 referees per practice area "essential". The exact cap depends on the guide and section.
- Up to 30: USA, Canada, Asia-Pacific, Greater China Region, UK solicitors, France, Germany and all 2027 specialist guides.
- 20 or 30: Europe, Brazil and Latin America, by section. 5 per barrister: UK Bar. None: 28 USA Nationwide sections and some Global sections.
- Referees go in Chambers' Excel referee spreadsheet, uploaded with the submission. If you are late, send referees first.
- Choose people who worked with your team in the past year, ideally with several of your lawyers, and who have agreed to be contacted.
A referee in Chambers terms is a person the research team may interview about your practice. Chambers says referees "will ideally be clients but can also include other people who have had dealings with your firm or practice over the past year", and that "we may interview some of your referees". The submission tells Chambers what you did. Referees tell it how well you did it. The 2019 Chambers USA tips put it this way: "A written submission must be backed up by excellent external feedback."
Referee caps by guide
Chambers' general page says "providing 20-30 referees in support of your submission is essential". Its FAQ and research schedule set the cap for each guide. Several guides have moved from 20 to 30 in recent cycles, so caps you remember from earlier years may be out of date.
| Guide | Referee cap per practice area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chambers USA | Up to 30 | 28 Nationwide sections take no referees. Litigation: General Commercial joined the list for USA 2027. |
| Chambers UK (solicitors) | Up to 30 | Referees contacted January to July. |
| Chambers UK Bar | 5 per barrister | Per barrister, per practice area. |
| Chambers Canada | Up to 30 | Some national categories use feedback from provincial categories instead. |
| Chambers Asia-Pacific, Greater China Region | Up to 30 | |
| Chambers France, Chambers Germany | Up to 30 | Germany: some groups of sub-sections share one combined cap of 30. |
| FinTech, High Net Worth, Litigation Support, NewLaw, Crisis & Risk | Up to 30 | "All 2027 Specialist Guides (and all guides going forward)". |
| Chambers Europe | 20 or 30 | Varies by section; some sections take no referees. |
| Chambers Brazil | Mostly 20 | Up to 30 for Corporate/M&A, Dispute Resolution: Litigation, Labour & Employment and Tax. |
| Chambers Latin America | Mostly 20 | Up to 30 for Corporate/M&A and Corporate/Commercial. |
| Chambers Global | Varies | Not all sections accept referees. Global Market Leaders: 20. Some countries raised to 30. |
Sources: Chambers FAQ: How many referees can we submit?, Chambers submissions, Chambers USA Nationwide sections without referees, Chambers UK 2027 changes, Chambers research schedule (section-level notes)
The section-level note in the research schedule is the final word. Check it for every practice area before you build the list. Notes there include "We do not accept referees for this section" and combined caps across sub-sections.
When referees are contacted
Chambers says it aims to contact all referees by the end of the research period listed in the schedule, and generally starts "towards the beginning of the research month". If a referee was also put forward by another firm or practice area, they may be contacted earlier, and Chambers says the researcher "will make sure to ask about your firm as well". Conversations are one-to-one, and published quotes are anonymised.
Chambers says it asks referees about:
- the nature of their relationship with the firm;
- the work the firm handled for them "in the last year or so";
- their views on the quality of service, "including constructive criticisms".
Common errors
Chambers' 2019 Chambers USA tips list the mistakes its researchers see most on referee spreadsheets. The caps have changed since then, but the points still apply:
- Not using the allocated spaces. Fill the list up to the cap where you can.
- Not being selective. Chambers recommends people "who have had recent experience working with your firm, preferably with multiple members of the team".
- Listing people who will be too busy to speak. "Sometimes it may be worth listing a more junior member of the client's team."
- Not checking that clients are happy to speak.
We also see these in practice, all of which can stop a referee being reached:
- Over the cap for the section, or referees uploaded for a section that takes none.
- Missing or mistyped email addresses and phone numbers.
- The same referee listed twice, or listed under the wrong practice area.
- Altered template columns. Use Chambers' current Referees form as issued.
- A lawyer nominated for ranking with no referee who worked with them.
How to choose referees
- Start from the work highlights. A referee who worked on a submitted matter can confirm it. See writing Chambers work highlights.
- Cover each nominated lawyer. Chambers' tips advise giving a lawyer you want ranked "work highlights and client referees to support the case for their inclusion".
- Prefer recent clients. Chambers asks about work in the past year. Clients come before non-clients, though non-clients are allowed.
- Pick the person who will answer. The general counsel may know you best, but a senior lawyer on their team may be easier to reach.
- Ask first, then remind. Confirm each referee is willing, and tell them roughly when to expect contact.
- Think about range. Chambers asks firms to give it "a diverse range of contacts".
If you are running late
Chambers calls client referees "always the most time-sensitive part of the research". Its UK 2027 notice says late referees "will affect our ability to process them before the start of research", and firms struggling with a deadline should "concentrate on submitting their client referees on time". For Chambers UK, if you will be only one or two days late, you need not contact the team. Otherwise, discuss extensions with the researcher for the section.
Other directories use different rules
Legal 500 treats 20 referees as "a good minimum guideline", sets no maximum and emails every referee submitted on time. IFLR1000 asks for no more than 15 per practice area, from the prior 18 months. See Chambers vs Legal 500, the Legal 500 US guide and the IFLR1000 guide. Referee deadlines usually match submission deadlines. Find yours in the deadline calendar.
We return a checked referee spreadsheet with every submission we prepare. Contact us to discuss your needs.
Frequently asked questions
How many referees can we submit to Chambers?
It depends on the guide and section. Chambers says USA, Canada, Asia-Pacific, Greater China Region, UK solicitors, France, Germany and all 2027 specialist guides accept up to 30. Europe takes 20 or 30 depending on the section, Brazil and Latin America mostly 20 with some sections at 30, the UK Bar 5 per barrister per practice area, and some Global and USA Nationwide sections take none. Check the research schedule for your section.
Do referees have to be clients?
No, but clients are preferred. Chambers says referees will ideally be clients but can include other people who have had dealings with your firm or practice over the past year. Its 2019 tips recommend putting forward clients over non-clients.
What if our referee spreadsheet will be late?
Send the referees first. Chambers describes client referees as the most time-sensitive part of the research and says late referees affect its ability to process them before research starts. For Chambers UK it says you need not get in touch if you will only be one or two days late. Extensions are otherwise discussed with the researcher for the section.
Quotes are from the official pages linked above, plus Chambers USA: How to make a good submission (PDF, 2019) and the Legal 500 US 2027 guidelines (PDF).