Selection Criteria & Review Process
Leadership, professional development, legal advocacy, and career growth — reviewed under one standard.
Influential Women in Law™ (IWIL) is a professional recognition organization designed to identify, honor, and connect women who have demonstrated meaningful qualities of leadership, professional development, legal advocacy, and career growth.
IWIL recognizes that professional achievement takes many forms and that accomplished women should be empowered to advocate for their own careers, contributions, and successes. Accordingly, candidates may be identified through peer nominations, professional research, independent review, or self-nomination.
Regardless of how a candidate is identified, all candidates are subject to the same review and selection criteria. A nomination, including a self-nomination, does not guarantee selection.
Selection Criteria
In evaluating a candidate for Influential Women in Law™, IWIL may consider the following factors:
Professional Experience and Career Growth
Demonstrated progression within the legal profession, including years in practice, advancement within a firm or organization, development of a distinguished practice, expansion of professional responsibilities, or other evidence of sustained career growth.
Leadership
Evidence of leadership within a law firm, legal organization, professional association, academic institution, community organization, or the broader legal profession.
Legal Advocacy and Professional Achievement
A record of meaningful legal work, which may include significant matters, notable case results, appellate work, transactions, publications, presentations, teaching, client advocacy, or other accomplishments relevant to the candidate's area of practice.
Peer and Professional Recognition
Recognition by colleagues, professional organizations, publications, bar associations, rating services, or other reputable third parties may be considered as evidence of professional standing and accomplishment.
Professional Reputation and Standing
Consideration may be given to professional reputation, ethical standing, disciplinary history, and information available through applicable licensing authorities and other credible sources.
Mentorship and Development of Others
Contributions to the advancement of other attorneys and legal professionals through mentorship, education, training, supervision, professional development, or similar activities.
Contributions to the Legal Profession and Community
Meaningful involvement in bar associations, professional organizations, legal education, pro bono initiatives, community leadership, charitable activities, or efforts that contribute to the advancement of the profession.
Influence Within a Practice Area or Legal Community
Evidence that a candidate has established credibility, authority, leadership, or influence within her practice area, firm, geographic market, or professional community.
Self-Nomination and Professional Empowerment
Influential Women in Law™ believes that women should be encouraged to recognize and communicate the value of their own professional accomplishments. For that reason, qualified female attorneys are invited to nominate themselves for consideration.
Self-nomination should not be viewed as diminishing the significance of recognition. Rather, it provides accomplished women with an opportunity to present achievements, leadership experiences, professional contributions, and career milestones that may not otherwise be readily visible through public sources.
A self-nomination serves only as a request for consideration. It does not constitute selection, confer recognition, or provide preferential treatment.
Self-nominated candidates are evaluated under the same standards as attorneys identified through peer nominations, professional research, or independent review. IWIL retains sole discretion regarding final selection.
Selection and Review Process
Candidates may enter the IWIL review process through:
- 01Independent identification and professional research conducted by IWIL;
- 02Nomination by attorneys, colleagues, clients, professional organizations, or other members of the legal community; or
- 03Self-nomination by a female attorney who believes her professional record warrants consideration.
Following identification or nomination, IWIL reviews the candidate's professional record as a whole. The review may incorporate publicly available attorney biographies, professional experience, licensing information, leadership positions, reported accomplishments, publications, professional recognition, community involvement, and other information IWIL considers relevant.
No single factor automatically qualifies or disqualifies a candidate. IWIL recognizes that professional excellence may be demonstrated through different combinations of leadership, advocacy, achievement, service, influence, and sustained career development.
Final selection is made at the discretion of Influential Women in Law™ following review of the candidate's qualifications.
Recognition Based on Merit, Not Payment
Selection for Influential Women in Law™ is based upon professional qualifications and is independent of any purchasing decision.
Attorneys cannot purchase selection or recognition as an Influential Women in Law™ honoree.
There is no fee to nominate another attorney or to self-nominate, and no payment is required to be considered, evaluated, or selected.
Where optional membership benefits, promotional opportunities, commemorative products, or other services are offered following selection, purchasing or declining those offerings does not determine an attorney's selection and does not alter the underlying recognition decision.
The distinction between selection and participation is fundamental to the integrity of Influential Women in Law™. Our purpose is to identify and connect women whose professional records demonstrate leadership, development, legal advocacy, influence, and continued career growth, while creating an environment in which accomplished women are equally empowered to recognize the value of their own achievements.