An AV rated law firm is one whose attorneys have earned “AV Preeminent,” the highest peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a legal rating service that has evaluated lawyers for more than a century. The rating is assigned by other lawyers and judges, anonymously, based on both legal ability and ethical standards. For someone shopping for a lawyer, it’s a useful third-party signal, but it answers only part of the question you’re actually asking.
What the AV Rating Actually Means
Martindale-Hubbell rates attorneys on two separate tracks: legal ability and ethical standards.1Martindale-Hubbell. Use Guidelines for Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings The “A” reflects the highest level of legal skill. The “V” signals that the attorney meets very high ethical standards. The full designation is usually written as “AV Preeminent,” which sits at the top of the Martindale-Hubbell scale.
Ethics gets evaluated first. If an attorney doesn’t clear that bar, no legal ability rating is assigned at all. That sequencing matters: an AV-rated lawyer has passed both gates, not just one. Below AV, Martindale-Hubbell issues a “BV Distinguished” rating for attorneys with high legal ability and ethical standards who haven’t reached the top tier. Knowing AV sits above BV gives the label more meaning than treating it as a standalone badge.
Who Decides and How
The ratings are peer-driven. Martindale-Hubbell collects confidential evaluations from attorneys and judges and compiles them into a consensus rating.1Martindale-Hubbell. Use Guidelines for Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings Reviewers weigh in on legal knowledge, professional ability, and ethical conduct through a secure online survey.2Martindale-Avvo. New AV Preeminent Peer Rated Attorneys Because the surveys are anonymous, reviewers can be candid without professional awkwardness.
An attorney typically becomes eligible for a first peer review rating about three years after initial bar admission. Newer lawyers simply haven’t built enough of a track record for peers to evaluate. So an AV rating almost always belongs to a lawyer with meaningful experience.
Why It’s a Useful Signal When Hiring
Legal skill is hard to judge from the outside. A firm’s own marketing tells you what the firm wants you to think. A peer rating tells you what other lawyers and judges think, and those are the people best positioned to evaluate competence.
The rating is also selective. The exact share isn’t published by Martindale-Hubbell in a single authoritative source, but industry estimates put the AV Preeminent group at fewer than 5 to 10 percent of attorneys. That selectivity is part of why the rating carries weight for referrals inside the profession: when a lawyer needs to send a client to a specialist outside their own practice area, an AV designation works as a quick confidence check.
What the Rating Doesn’t Tell You
It isn’t a guarantee of case outcomes. An AV-rated attorney has earned peer respect; that’s a different thing from predicting results in your specific matter.
It also reflects overall standing rather than expertise in the exact area of law you need. An AV-rated corporate lawyer may be excellent at mergers and the wrong choice for a custody dispute. Match the practice area to your problem before weighing the rating.
There’s a structural caveat too. Martindale-Hubbell is a commercial platform where attorneys can buy enhanced profiles and advertising. The rating itself is peer-driven and can’t be purchased, but the surrounding ecosystem blends editorial content with paid features. Treat the rating as one data point, not the whole picture.
And the three-year eligibility window means strong younger attorneys may have no rating at all. The absence of an AV designation isn’t a mark against a lawyer; it may just mean the system hasn’t had time to evaluate them.
How AV Compares to Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers
Martindale-Hubbell isn’t the only service that rates lawyers, and the methodologies measure different things.
Super Lawyers combines peer nominations with independent research across 12 categories, including verdicts, transactions, professional honors, and pro bono work. Candidates are reviewed by attorneys in their practice area, and the final list is limited to five percent of lawyers in each state. Self-nominations don’t count, and in-firm nominations only count when matched by at least one nomination from outside the firm.3Super Lawyers. The Super Lawyers Selection Process Unlike Martindale-Hubbell, it factors in concrete professional achievements, not just peer opinion.
Best Lawyers describes its methodology as “Purely Peer Review.” Anyone can nominate a lawyer, including the lawyer themselves, and currently recognized lawyers then provide feedback on candidates in the same geographic area and practice area. Candidates must be in good standing with their local bar.4Best Lawyers. Methodology and Process
None of these systems is objectively better than the others. Martindale-Hubbell leans on confidential peer surveys about ability and ethics. Super Lawyers blends peer input with research into accomplishments. Best Lawyers focuses on reputation within a specific geography and practice area. A lawyer who shows up well across more than one of them gives you a fuller picture than any single rating does on its own.
How to Verify a Rating and Use It
The most direct way to confirm an attorney’s Martindale-Hubbell rating is through the Martindale.com directory, which lets you search by location, practice area, or attorney name. Profiles display the peer review rating, so you can verify an AV claim rather than taking the firm’s own word for it. The directory also includes client reviews, which read differently from the peer-based rating and are worth skimming.
Once you’ve confirmed the rating, use it as a starting point. Ask the attorney about specific experience with cases like yours. Check their standing with your state bar. Read client reviews where you can find them. The AV rating tells you the legal community respects the attorney’s work. Only your own checking tells you whether they’re the right fit for your situation.