Chambers USA 2027: Key changes for US law firms

Key takeaway

Chambers has announced several important changes for the Chambers USA 2027 guide, including new submission areas, revised deadlines for a number of existing sections, and a change to how some Nationwide sections will use referee feedback.

What has changed for Chambers USA 2027?

Chambers has published three main updates affecting the USA 2027 research cycle:

1. New practice areas have been added for Chambers USA 2027.

2. Several existing sections now have different submission deadlines.

3. Nationwide Litigation: General Commercial has been added to the list of Nationwide sections where Chambers will not contact referees.

Chambers says research for the USA 2027 guide will begin in August 2026, so firms affected by the earliest deadlines need to move quickly.

New Chambers USA 2027 sections

Chambers has introduced a number of new submission opportunities across state-level and Nationwide categories for the USA 2027 guide. These include new areas in litigation, insurance, public finance, life sciences, technology, product liability, national security, digital infrastructure and more.

The new Chambers USA 2027 submission areas include:

Chambers USA 2027 deadline changes

Chambers has also changed the submission deadlines for a number of existing USA sections. Chambers says the changes are intended to move research away from pinch-points in the year and reduce the amount of research taking place over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The changes affect several major jurisdictions and practice areas, including California, New York, Texas, Illinois, District of Columbia, Maine and Nationwide transportation categories.

Some deadlines have moved earlier, including a number of sections now due on 16 July 2026, 6 August 2026 or 3 September 2026. Others have moved later, including several Maine sections now due on 12 November 2026.

Nationwide referee changes for Chambers USA 2027

Chambers has also confirmed an update to the list of Nationwide sections where it does not accept referee lists.

For these sections, Chambers says it considers referee feedback gathered through relevant state-based research across the full research cycle, rather than contacting a separate list of Nationwide referees.

The only change for the USA 2027 guide is that USA - Nationwide Litigation: General Commercial has been added to this list. The full list can be found here.

How law firms should prepare for Chambers USA 2027

If your firm is submitting to Chambers USA 2027, we would suggest taking these practical steps.

1. Rebuild your Chambers USA calendar

Start with the updated Chambers research schedule and create a fresh internal calendar for every section you are targeting. Build in time for matter collection, partner review, referee checks, drafting, internal approvals and final upload.

2. Audit the new sections against your existing work

If a section has changed for your firm, ask whether your firm has:

• enough relevant matters;

• clear lead partners or lawyers;

• referees who can speak to that work;

Some matters previously used in broader submissions may now fit better elsewhere. For more, read our article on writing legal directory submissions. This is also why maintaining a year round legal directory-ready matter bank across your practice areas is so helpful – we recently talked about repurposing legal directory submissions for maximum marketing ROI.

How Elmfields can help with Chambers USA submissions

Elmfields helps ambitious US law firms prepare stronger legal directory submissions, including Chambers USA and Legal 500 US submissions.

We support US firms with submission strategy, matter selection, drafting, referee planning and project management, helping teams present their work clearly and competitively. We have an outstanding track record of helping firms and attorneys improve their legal directory submissions and achieve stronger ranking results.

If your firm needs support with Chambers USA 2027 submissions, get in touch with our legal directory submissions writers.