How we list firms

The order of listings

Every list of firms on Gavel Chicago is in this order, on every page:

1. Sponsored (paid Featured), at most 3 per page. They rotate daily in a deterministic order: sorted by sha256(slug + the date, YYYY-MM-DD, in Chicago time). Every one carries the visible “Sponsored” label.
2. Claimed listings whose registration was checked (from a lawyer-provided letter of good standing), alphabetical.
3. All other listings, alphabetical.

No ratings, no editorial picks, and no reviews. Paying for Featured changes only the labeled sponsored slot.

Where listing details come from

Each listing's office address, phone number and practice areas come from the firm's own website, or from the firm itself when it adds or claims its listing. Every listing shows its source and the date we last checked it. To find firms to list, we used firms' own websites and OpenStreetMap, an open map database; nothing from OpenStreetMap is copied into a listing.

We don't copy, search or republish data from the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). Every listing links to its public lawyer search instead: Check any Illinois lawyer's registration at the ARDC (opens in a new tab). A listing says “Registration checked” only when a lawyer at the firm sent us their own ARDC letter of good standing; a person compared it and recorded the date, and we deleted the file.

Corrections and removal

Lawyers may request corrections or removal of their listing by claiming it or by emailing [email protected]. We handle every request within 5 business days.

What Gavel Chicago is

• Gavel Chicago does not refer, recommend or endorse any lawyer.
• Gavel Chicago is not a law firm or lawyer referral service.
• Lawyers never pay Gavel Chicago a share of any legal fee.

Lawyers can read our intermediary connecting service certification.