Which legal directories actually show up on Google? We checked 40 searches

Most “best legal directories” lists are opinions. Someone picks 15 sites, adds a sentence about each, and tells you to get listed everywhere. That’s a lot of profiles to keep up, and some of them cost real money.

We wanted a simpler answer: when someone searches for a lawyer in their city, which directories does Google actually show them? So we ran 40 searches and counted. Here’s what came back, and what we’d do about it if we ran your firm’s local SEO.

How we checked

We searched five practice areas in eight cities, the way people type it: “car accident lawyer Houston”, “divorce lawyer Denver”, “dui lawyer Columbus”, “immigration lawyer Chicago”, “estate planning attorney Boise”, and so on.

• Cities: Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Columbus and Boise.
• What we recorded: the top 20 regular (organic) results for each search, plus whether Google showed a map pack and an AI Overview.
• When: November 4, 2026, desktop results, with the location set to each city.

That’s 40 searches and 748 organic results. It’s a snapshot, not a census, but it’s enough to see a pattern.

The short answer

Google’s map pack showed up on 39 of the 40 searches. Below it, a legal directory made the top 10 on 37 of the 40, and the top 3 on 22. Two sites did most of the work.

Site	Searches where it ranked in the top 3	Top 10	Top 20
Justia	9	19	22
Super Lawyers	9	15	19
Yelp	4	8	19
Cornell LII lawyer directory	0	5	18
LawInfo	0	2	14
Best Lawyers	1	3	4
Avvo, FindLaw, Martindale, Lawyers.com	0	0	0

Out of 40 searches. Data pulled through DataForSEO from Google US.

The surprise is the last row. Avvo, FindLaw, Martindale and Lawyers.com are some of the best-known names in legal directories, and none of them appeared in the top 20 for any of these 40 searches.

What stood out

The map pack comes first

On 39 of the 40 searches, Google showed three firms on a map before any regular results. That’s still the most valuable spot on the page for a local practice, and it’s driven by your Google Business Profile, not by directories. If your profile isn’t complete and verified, start there before you spend an hour on any directory.

Justia and Super Lawyers are where directories still win

Justia ranked in the top 10 on almost half the searches, across every practice area we checked. Super Lawyers was close behind, and its city pages often sat in the top 3.

They work differently. Justia is a directory you claim and fill out yourself, and a basic profile is free. The same profile also appears in the Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII) lawyer directory, which reached the top 20 on 18 of our searches. One free profile, two directories that rank. Super Lawyers is a list you’re selected for: its own selection process combines peer nominations, independent research and peer evaluation, and names the top 5 percent of lawyers in each state. You can’t sign up for that one, but if you’re selected, make sure your profile is complete and links to your site.

Yelp still matters for lawyers

Yelp reached the top 20 on almost half the searches, most often for DUI and divorce (6 of 8 cities each). Plenty of firms ignore their Yelp page. A claimed, accurate one with a few real reviews is a small job with real reach.

Big names didn’t rank, and that’s not the same as “don’t matter”

Avvo, FindLaw, Martindale and Lawyers.com didn’t show for these city-and-practice searches. They may still show up when someone searches your firm’s name, and AI tools can use them as sources. It’s also worth knowing they aren’t really rivals: Martindale-Hubbell, Avvo, Lawyers.com and Nolo are all brands of Martindale-Avvo, and FindLaw joined the same parent company, Internet Brands, in 2024.

So keep those profiles accurate. Just don’t expect them to bring in people searching “lawyer near me” on their own.

Results vary by practice

Estate planning and immigration searches had the most directory results in the top 10 (16 and 15 of 80 spots). Divorce had the fewest (9), so more of page 1 went to firms’ own websites. If you practice divorce law, your own site has more room to win.

AI Overviews were rare here

Google showed an AI Overview on 11 of the 40 searches. When it did, it mostly cited law firm websites. Justia was the only directory cited, twice. For “find me a lawyer” searches, your own site and your Google Business Profile still carry the most weight. (For questions people ask AI tools directly, review sites play a bigger part. We covered that in which review sites matter for ChatGPT.)

What we’d do with this

1. Google Business Profile first. Complete it, verify it, and keep it current. Google’s guidelines also allow individual lawyers their own profiles in some cases, which is worth checking for a firm with several attorneys.
2. Justia, claimed and fully filled out. Every practice area you want to be found for, your bio, a photo and a link to your site. It covers the LII directory too.
3. Super Lawyers, if you’re selected. Complete the profile and link it.
4. Yelp, claimed and accurate. Add your hours, photos and practice areas, and reply to reviews.
5. LawInfo. It reached the top 20 on 14 searches, so check that your details there are right.
6. Everything else: accurate, not a priority. Same firm name, address and phone number everywhere. Fix errors as you find them, but don’t pay for upgrades just because a sales rep says the site is important.

One more thing: some of these directories collect reviews, and Google may show third-party reviews on your Business Profile. You can’t choose which sites it pulls from, so a few good reviews outside Google can show up where people are already looking.

Check your own market

Our 40 searches aren’t your market. It takes five minutes to check yours:

1. Open a private browser window, so your own search history doesn’t skew the results.
2. Search your main practice area plus your city, the way a client would.
3. Note which directories appear on the first two pages.
4. Repeat for your second practice area and a nearby city.

Whatever shows up there is where to put your directory time first.

Frequently asked questions

Are legal directories still worth it for SEO?

Some are. In our 40 searches, Justia and Super Lawyers ranked on page 1 for most practice areas, and Yelp often made the top 20. A complete profile there puts your firm in front of people searching for a lawyer, and gives them one more way to reach your site. Most other directories rarely showed up for these searches.

Which legal directory is best for lawyers?

Based on our searches in November 2026, Justia showed up most often, in the top 10 on 19 of 40 searches across five practice areas and eight cities. Super Lawyers was second at 15. Check your own city and practice area, though: results vary by market.

Should I pay for a premium directory listing?

Only if you can see that directory ranking for the searches your clients use, and you can track the calls it sends you. A free, complete profile on the directories that show up in your market is usually the place to start. Ask any directory for its own lead data before you upgrade.

Do directory listings count as an endorsement?

No. Directory listings that list lawyers by practice area aren’t a recommendation of any one lawyer. North Carolina’s ethics rules, for example, say so directly in their comments on advertising. Paid upgrades can work differently, so read the terms.

Why didn’t Avvo or FindLaw show up?

We can’t say for certain why Google ranks one site over another. In our searches, Google favored Justia, Super Lawyers and Yelp city pages, and the firms’ own websites. Avvo and FindLaw may still appear for other kinds of searches, such as your firm’s name.