Eric Steven was selected to the 2026 Washington Super Lawyer

When choosing an attorney, clients often look for indicators of professional experience, legal knowledge, and peer recognition. One of the most widely recognized attorney rating services in the United States is Super Lawyers®, an annual listing that identifies attorneys from a wide range of practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Although no award or recognition can guarantee the outcome of a legal matter, honors such as Super Lawyers can provide prospective clients with additional information when evaluating legal representation. Understanding what Super Lawyers is, how attorneys are selected, and what the recognition represents can help clients make more informed decisions when choosing legal counsel.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding attorneys from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The organization publishes annual attorney lists in every state and major metropolitan region across the United States.

Attorneys selected to Super Lawyers are featured in both digital and print publications and may be included in regional magazines, legal directories, and the Super Lawyers website. The purpose of the listing is to help consumers identify attorneys who have been recognized by their peers and evaluated through an independent research process.

The Super Lawyers program began in the early 1990s and has grown into one of the most recognized attorney rating services in the legal profession. Today, millions of consumers use the Super Lawyers website each year to research attorneys and learn more about their backgrounds, practice areas, and professional accomplishments.

 The Super Lawyers selection process is designed to evaluate attorneys using multiple independent factors rather than relying on a single nomination or application.

While the exact methodology evolves over time, the process generally includes three primary components:

Attorneys are invited to nominate other lawyers they have personally observed in practice. These nominations are intended to reflect firsthand knowledge of an attorney's professional abilities rather than advertising or self-promotion.

Attorneys cannot nominate themselves, and nominations are intended to come from lawyers who have worked with or against the attorney in a professional capacity.

Following the nomination process, Super Lawyers conducts independent research evaluating numerous indicators of professional achievement. These indicators may include factors such as:

• Professional experience
• Verdicts and settlements
• Representative matters
• Honors and awards
• Professional certifications
• Scholarly lectures and legal presentations
• Published legal articles and writings
• Bar and professional association activities
• Community involvement
• Pro bono service
• Continuing legal education
• Other indicators of professional accomplishment

The research component helps create a broader picture of an attorney's career and contributions to the legal profession.

Candidates with the highest point totals are further evaluated by attorneys within their primary practice areas. These peer evaluations provide an additional level of review before the final selections are made.

The combination of peer nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations is intended to create a balanced assessment of professional recognition and achievement.

 Super Lawyers states that no more than five percent of licensed attorneys in each state are selected to the Super Lawyers list each year.

In addition, the organization publishes a separate Rising Stars list recognizing outstanding younger attorneys or those who have been practicing for a relatively shorter period. No more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state are selected for the Rising Stars list annually.

Because the selections are made annually, recognition applies only to the specific year in which an attorney is selected.

 Super Lawyers is best understood as an attorney rating and selection process rather than a certification or government-issued credential.

Selection does not constitute specialization, board certification, or endorsement by any court, governmental agency, or bar association. Instead, it reflects recognition through the Super Lawyers methodology, which combines peer nominations, independent research, and evaluations.

Consumers should consider Super Lawyers recognition alongside other important factors when choosing legal representation, including an attorney's experience, practice focus, communication style, and familiarity with the specific legal issues involved in their case.

 Attorneys spend much of their careers interacting with other lawyers in negotiations, court proceedings, mediations, hearings, legal education programs, and professional organizations.

As a result, fellow attorneys often develop firsthand knowledge of another lawyer's professionalism, preparation, legal knowledge, courtroom skills, and ethical conduct.

Peer recognition provides one perspective on an attorney's professional reputation within the legal community. While it should not be the sole basis for selecting an attorney, it can be one useful factor among many.

 Legal matters often involve significant financial, personal, or business consequences. Whether the issue involves litigation, contracts, real estate, landlord-tenant disputes, commercial litigation, or regulatory compliance, clients generally benefit from working with attorneys who devote substantial portions of their practice to the relevant area of law.

Experience often contributes to:

• A deeper understanding of applicable laws and regulations
• Familiarity with court procedures
• Practical litigation strategy
• Effective negotiation techniques
• Risk assessment
• Efficient case management
• Identification of potential legal issues before they become larger problems

Recognition programs such as Super Lawyers may reflect, in part, an attorney's sustained commitment to professional excellence within a particular area of practice.

 One of the primary goals of the Super Lawyers program is to make it easier for consumers to research attorneys.

The Super Lawyers website allows visitors to search attorneys by:

• Geographic location
• Practice area
• Firm
• Language
• Professional biography
• Published articles
• Speaking engagements
• Professional recognitions

These profiles provide consumers with additional information that may assist them in evaluating whether an attorney's experience aligns with their legal needs.

 While professional recognitions can be meaningful, selecting an attorney involves much more than reviewing awards.

Prospective clients should also consider:

• Whether the attorney regularly handles similar legal matters
• Years of experience in the relevant practice area
• Courtroom experience
• Communication style
• Availability
• Educational background
• Professional memberships
• Published articles
• Teaching and speaking experience
• Client reviews and testimonials (where appropriate)
• The resources available through the attorney's law firm

Every legal matter is unique, and no recognition alone guarantees a particular result..

 Many attorneys who receive professional recognition remain actively involved in legal education throughout their careers.

Teaching seminars, presenting continuing legal education programs, writing legal articles, and participating in professional organizations help attorneys stay current as laws evolve.

These activities also provide opportunities to contribute to the legal profession by sharing practical knowledge with fellow attorneys, judges, housing professionals, business owners, and industry organizations.

Recognition through Super Lawyers should be viewed as one component of an attorney's overall professional background.

Clients should also evaluate:

• Experience handling similar cases
• Depth of subject-matter knowledge
• Professional reputation
• Communication and responsiveness
• Strategic thinking
• Practical problem-solving abilities
• Commitment to client service

The best attorney for any particular matter is one whose experience, knowledge, and approach align with the client's specific legal needs.

 Selection to the Super Lawyers list reflects recognition earned during a particular year through a combination of peer nominations, independent research, and professional evaluation.

For many attorneys, however, professional recognition represents only one aspect of a broader commitment to serving clients, maintaining high ethical standards, continuing legal education, and contributing to the legal profession.

Ultimately, clients benefit most from attorneys who combine legal knowledge, practical experience, sound judgment, professionalism, and dedication to achieving effective solutions for those they represent..