Bloomberg Law’s 2025 40 Under 40: Frequently Asked Questions

As we open submissions for our fifth annual edition of “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40,” we invite those seeking to nominate candidates to review answers to frequently asked questions we’ve received to date.

Can you discuss your submission review process?

Each year, we assemble a submission review team of editors to handle the weighty task of selecting 40 talented honorees from a large, national pool. We evaluate nominees for their records of success for clients, their track records of leadership, how they balance their legal practice work with pro bono service and more. Our editorial team reviews each nomination individually and carefully. Each submission receives several reviews by different editors before we publish our special report.

What is the maximum number of attorneys we can nominate?

A firm, company or non-profit may officially nominate one attorney.

A second attorney from the same firm, company or non-profit may be nominated by a peer, a client or self-nominate. That nomination should come directly from the nominator and must include all application components outlined in the call for nominations, including letters of recommendation, to be considered.

Are nominees evaluated individually or by organization?

Each nominee is evaluated individually by our team of reviewers.

What is the maximum number of awards you might make to the same organization?

Organizations represented in the submission pool may have zero, one or two honorees, depending on the outcome of evaluations made by our review team. We will award a maximum of two attorneys affiliated with the same law firm, company, government agency, non-profit or university.

Is there a limit on how many attorneys may self-nominate or be nominated by colleagues from our firm or organization?

We don’t impose a formal limit on self-nominations. However, we do limit how many awards we will make to the same organization. (See answer above.)

What’s your guidance for organizations with an official nominee, self-nominating young lawyers and/or those nominated by colleagues?

We encourage law firm/organizational professionals nominating young lawyers to use good discretion. For instance, staffers coordinating to “unofficially” nominate 6 or 7 young lawyers from the same organization will not increase the amount of potential honorees selected from that organization.

A good practice is to tailor your organization’s one official nomination to a strong candidate.

Self nominations also enable candidates from a range of firms, non-profits, corporations and other organizations to be considered for the “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40" award.

For those nominating themselves or colleagues, consider that you or your nominee(s) will compete against any nominee put forth by your organization, as well others in the pool. Finally, consider that the maximum number of honorees from any organization is two.

Will self nominations or colleague nominations be evaluated differently than those coming from organizations?

No. All nominations, including those submitted by firms, organizations, nominees and their colleagues, will receive the same, individual consideration.

How should we submit recommendation letters?

Submissions for consideration for “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” should arrive in completed form. This includes recommendation letters, both of which must arrive with the nomination package. Once nomination packages are complete, please send all materials in the same dispatch to submissions@bloombergindustry.com.

Will recommendation letters be weighted differently, depending on the source?

Our team will evaluate all recommendation letters – whether they come from clients, mentors or other attorneys – in the same way, along with the rest of the submission package.

Nominators should send their two strongest letters of support on behalf of nominees. Recommendation writers should indicate how they’re familiar with the nominee’s work, character and impact.

Firms, companies and other organizations may choose to provide two letters from clients; letters from one client and one attorney mentor; or some other combination.

If a colleague or a client is the nominator, must that person write one of the two letters of recommendation?

No, we don’t require this. We do encourage nominators to include the candidate’s two strongest letters of recommendation.

Should we provide confidential information?

No. Nominators should refrain from including confidential information in submissions.

Should we consider submission materials “on the record” for publication?

Yes. Nominations will be considered “on the record” for potential publication, excepting personal details such as birth dates.

A tip: Vet your inclusion of potentially sensitive client matter details with your clients before submitting your nomination. Our editorial team will not be able to accept requests to scrub client matter details after submission. Again, nomination details will be considered “on the record” for potential publication.

For the biography, do you prefer a resume style list of facts or a narrative? For the essay, from whose point of view should it be written?

A narrative style would be preferred for the biography. We prefer the essay to be written from the point of view of the nominee.

Would having a notable lawyer send in a nomination work in our favor?

We welcome nominations from organizations, mentors, senior lawyers in a position to have detailed knowledge of the work of nominees, and nominees themselves. While, it doesn’t hurt to have a well-regarded nominator, the origin of a nomination does not factor in our assessment of nominees. Nominations from organizations, other lawyers and self-nominations are all evaluated through the same process—with a focus on the nominee’s track record of client success, organizational and community leadership.

Will you notify us if our application is incomplete?

We aim to notify all nominees of timely-received submissions considered for the 2025 class of honorees. However, due to the volume of applicants and our extensive review process, we are unable to specifically notify applicants of incomplete submissions. As such, we encourage you to check nominations carefully ahead of submission to ensure they conform to the rules and are complete.

Must nominees have legal titles such as “Associate, Partner, Of Counsel or General Counsel”?

No. There is no specific title requirement for this award. Nominees are only required to be “engaged in the full-time practice of law.” The above titles are illustrative for the purposes of the nomination instructions. So if a nominee works as a full-time attorney, but doesn’t have a legal title, they can apply.

We nominated someone for a previous issue of “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40.” Can we put the same person forward again if they have not yet been selected?

Absolutely. We’ve definitely selected some honorees who originally submitted nominations for a prior year.

Some tips: When you are sending in a second nomination for a candidate, avoid sending in the same nomination. Instead, update the application with the nominee’s new client wins, leadership roles and/or pro bono service. Tell us how they are growing their impact. Each year we are grateful to receive a really talented pool of nominees, so we can’t make guarantees, but we encourage you to give it a try.

Please also review the “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40" special reports published to date, along with the award instructions and call for nominations to get a good sense of what makes a successful candidate.

Is a nominee who has been recognized on the “40 Under 40” list in the past eligible for consideration this year?

We recognize 40 Under 40 honorees for one class year. Nominees previously recognized are not eligible to receive another award.

Can candidates who have been featured in the “They’ve Got Next,” “Making Partner in a Pandemic” or other young lawyer series be considered for the “40 Under 40?” Are their chances impacted?

The submission process for our annual “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” is distinct from our reporter-driven editorial series, which is currently paused. Organizations may nominate a candidate for the “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” who has been featured in the “They’ve Got Next,” “Making Partner in a Pandemic” or other young lawyer series. Being featured in one series will not impact consideration for another.

Can you remind us how we submit for “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40?

Definitely. Our nomination process is outlined in our Call for Nominations. Please note that the process has changed from previous years for the 2025 edition. For 2025 submissions, we are now using the Qualtrics external platform, accessible here.

These FAQs should answer most questions. For any others, please write our team at submissions@bloombergindustry.com.
Due to the number of inquiries we receive, please allow up to 48 hours for a response. Good luck!