In the competitive world of legal services, small law firms often struggle to gain visibility against larger, well-funded counterparts who invest heavily in marketing and SEO. This challenge is intensifying as consumer search habits evolve, with AI tools like ChatGPT becoming popular for finding legal representation. A survey by iLawyer Marketing predicts that by 2025, ChatGPT will be the second most common platform for such searches, with users clicking on links below AI summaries only 8% of the time.
Best Lawyers has responded to this trend by launching an AI-embedded app within ChatGPT, designed to help users find attorneys by describing their legal issues in plain language. This app taps into Best Lawyers’ extensive peer-reviewed database, offering recommendations based on decades of evaluations by legal professionals.
The company, known for its rigorous peer-review process, has built a reputation over more than 40 years. Lawyers are assessed by their peers on their likelihood to refer cases, producing annual recognitions that attorneys proudly display. The new app allows award-winning lawyers to enhance their profiles with detailed information, which is then used to populate the app’s directory.
The app simplifies the search process for consumers, who can describe their issues without needing to know specific legal terms. For example, a user involved in a car accident in Philadelphia can find personal injury lawyers recommended by peers, rather than those with the best SEO. This peer-reviewed approach contrasts with traditional search engines that prioritize firms with strong SEO strategies.
The company argues that its recommendations are trustworthy, built on a refined vetting process and a global database of evaluations. Best Lawyers operates in 76 countries, continually researching to identify top attorneys. Importantly, inclusion in the directory cannot be bought; it must be earned through peer review.
As AI search technology advances, the quality of the data behind it becomes crucial. Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer emphasizes that clients deserve more than generic results, and integrating verified attorney recommendations into widely-used AI tools represents a significant advancement.
