Another year brings another critical lens through which legal professionals can gauge their standing in the intensely competitive world of Biglaw. The American Lawyer’s A-List ranking for 2024 has once again become the barometer for distinguishing the crème de la crème among Am Law 200 firms. This ranking is noteworthy not merely for its assessment of financial performance but for its inclusion of both cultural and social metrics, serving as a holistic index for law firm’s excellence.
The A-List measures a combination of revenue per lawyer (RPL), pro bono commitment, associate satisfaction, racial diversity, and gender diversity (specifically the percentage of equity partners who are women). Worth noting is the double weight given to RPL and pro bono contributions. Each firm’s performance in these categories is ranked on a 100-point scale, ultimately producing the overall scores that determine the firms making it to the top tier. As detailed on The American Lawyer website, the top 20 firms have been meticulously listed along with their respective scores.
The top 10 firms in the 2024 ranking are:
- Munger Tolles & Olson (93.3)
- Ropes & Gray (92.1)
- WilmerHale (91.8)
- Morgan Lewis (89.4)
- Orrick (88.0)
- Skadden (87.6)
- Cleary Gottlieb (85.4)
- Akin (84.9)
- Willkie (84.5)
- Gibson Dunn (84.4)
This comprehensive analysis offers a more nuanced view of what elite performance looks like in the modern legal landscape. While revenue per lawyer and pro bono commitment receive double the weight compared to other criteria, the inclusion of measures like associate satisfaction and diversity underscores an evolving understanding of what defines success in Biglaw. The diversity metrics, in particular, reflect the increasing importance placed on equitable representation within these prestigious firms.
For the complete list of top 20 firms and detailed scores, professionals can delve into the reporting at The American Lawyer.