Pay to play this Labor Day: Trophies for lawyers aren't always just rewards.

This Labor Day weekend, let us contemplate the ways that lawyers all over this country tout their achievements as “elite,” “super,” or “best.”  You’ve seen those ads, press releases, and web-site badges that congratulate lawyers for being named a superlative of one form or another by a seemingly neutral organization that supposedly plucked the deserving few out of a crowded field of mediocrity.  Ostensibly on merit.

In reality, most of those accolades are paid for by the honored law firms themselves.  Here’s the latest (redacted) request I received to join one lofty rank, and I wasn’t the least bit flattered:

What a bargain, two awards for the price of one! What's Latin for BOGO?

Finding a lawyer who’s right for you and your situation is a process, and it can be difficult.  That’s why multiple organizations pitch these awards as a way for attorneys to buy recognition.  And boy, do they.  Those badges of “honor” fill Google results, law firm advertising, and web sites. 

But not at Reiss & Nutt.  We don’t think that’s an honest way to present our attorneys, credentials, or achievements.  If you see an honor or award next to our names, know that we didn’t pay a dime for it.  We’ve probably been offered most of the paid trophies at one time or another, but we refuse to pay for play.

We take pride in our labor. 

We have even more pride in the referrals we receive from former clients and other attorneys who know our work and don’t need any more incentive than that to send friends, family, and business associates to our doors.  That’s how we get most of our work.

I get it, though.  When your firm is about competing for business, then advertising matters.  You salivate over participation trophies.  You’re even willing to pay for them.  Badges make you look authoritative.

We don’t need pretend honors here.  Our lawyers focus on delivering real results, and that’s rewarding enough.