When your entire practice is sensitive or highly-confidential, it can be tempting to skip referees altogether or offer up only a token few. But that’s a fast track to an underwhelming ranking. The reality is that referees are one of the most important parts of the submission process, in particular for Chambers & Partners.
Here\’s how to manage referees, when your clients don’t want to be named and you can’t share the details.
1. “But we can’t name the work” – That’s exactly why you need referees
First, let’s set out why you need to bother with this. If your submissions are redacted or anonymised, researchers rely heavily on referee feedback to understand the quality, scale, and impact of what your team does. That makes a good referee your external evidence base. Without one, the submission is uncorroborated and that makes ranking harder.
See: Who you name matters
2. It doesn’t have to be a client
Your referees don’t have to be clients. Anyone credible and close enough to your work can be a referee. That includes:
- Clients (past or present)
- Barristers and counsel you instructed or worked with
- External experts involved in the matter
- Lawyers from other firms who collaborated on the same side
- In-house legal team members beyond the GC
- Referring organisations like charities, regulators or advisory bodies
The key test: can they speak about your work in the past 12–18 months, and will they take the call? If the answer is yes, then they’re worth considering.
3. Prioritise people who say “yes”
A director from a big brand client looks great on paper but not if they never reply. You’re better off naming someone who’s more junior or lower profile but will actually respond. The best referees are:
- Recent, regular contacts
- Responsive and accessible
- Able to talk about your impact and approach, even in general terms
Choose someone who knows what you did and will say so when asked.
4. Brief them properly (and early)
Too many firms leave this too late or ignore it entirely. A short, well-timed email makes all the difference. Let them know:
- That you’ve put them down as a referee
- That they might be contacted in the next few weeks or months
- That you’re grateful for anything they’re able to say
- That they might want to add @chambers.com to their email “safe list”, for example, to make sure any communication from researchers gets through
You don’t need to ask them to say anything specific. Just remind them what you worked on together and thank them for their support.
Also see: Don’t just manage your referees
5. Fully confidential work? No problem
Even if the entire case is redacted in the submission, that doesn\’t disqualify the referee. Researchers won’t ask for privileged information, they just want confirmation that the work was meaningful and well handled. A referee can say:
- “It was complex, sensitive, and expertly delivered”
- “They navigated a regulatory minefield under huge pressure”
- “They were the go-to team in a fast-moving crisis”
That can be enough to tip a ranking decision.
Final word
If the case can’t speak for itself, the referee has to. When your matters are confidential, your referee is your mouthpiece. Choose wisely, brief them well, and treat the spreadsheet like the most valuable page in your submission.
Need more support?
- Visit our Legal Directories Hub for practical tools, timelines, and templates
- Explore our Legal Directories Services to see how we work with firms and individuals
Or get in touch to talk through your referee strategy
