WASHINGTON  – U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers, for the fifth consecutive year, announce the 2015 “Best Law Firms” rankings.

Firms included in the 2015 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

“For thirty years, U.S. News has provided consumers with accurate, in-depth information and rankings of a ride range of institutions,” says Tim Smart, Executive Editor of U.S. News & World Report. “Law firms are an integral part of our rankings and a natural accompaniment to the law school rankings.”

The 2015 rankings are based on the highest number of participating firms and highest number of client ballots on record. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must have a lawyer listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, which recognizes the top 4 percent of practicing attorneys in the US. Over 17,000 attorneys provided over 600,000 law firm assessments, and almost 7,500 clients provided more than 40,000 evaluations.

“For five years, we have combined massive amounts of hard data with peer reviews and  client assessments,” says Steven Naifeh, President and Co-Founder of Best Lawyers. “Increasingly, clients inform us ours are the most thorough, accurate, and helpful rankings of law firms available anywhere.”

Ranked firms, presented in tiers, are listed on a national and/or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.

Awards were given in 74 national practice areas and 120 metropolitan practice areas. One “Law Firm of the Year” is named in 73 of the ranked practice areas.

The 2015 “Best Law Firms” list  is featured in two publications. The national first-tier rankings are featured in the second edition of the “Best Law Firms” Legal Issue, which is  distributed to over 30,000 C-level executives. National and metropolitan first-tier rankings are featured in the “Best Law Firms” General Counsel Publication, which is distributed to more than 30,000 in-house counsel and in digital format to more than 60,000 private practice lawyers worldwide.

The 2015 “Best Law Firms” rankings can be seen in their entirety by visiting bestlawfirms.usnews.com.