The Financial Times has opened submissions for its 2026 FT Innovative Lawyers North America report, inviting law firms and in-house legal teams to showcase groundbreaking work in both practice and business of law. The report will feature case studies of innovative legal work, with the most exceptional submissions shortlisted for the accompanying awards event on December 7 at Gotham Hall in New York.

The submission process runs through July 17, 2026, with law firms able to submit up to eight entries across seven categories including practice of law, responsible business, knowledge and data, business of law, people and skills, individual practitioner, and intrapreneur. In-house legal teams can submit up to four entries in categories such as commercial and strategic partners, new products and services, operational transformation, and digital solutions.

Submissions will be evaluated by RSGI, the FT's research partner, using benchmarks, interviews, and surveys. The report, published on December 8, will include detailed descriptions of selected submissions alongside analytical articles examining key trends in the legal sector. The three highest-scoring submissions across all categories will determine each firm's innovation score in the overall FT law firm index.