Today’s Law Firm Top Legal Employers in DC
Multiple DC-based law firms are not only hunting for successful candidates, but are offering significantly higher salaries to draw in the right lawyers. Becker has a thorough history of lawyer placement in the DC area and can help to place you with a leading firm.
Akin Gump
With over 800 lawyers in five continents, Akin Gump has become one of the world’s fastest growing firms. Akin Gump has recently expanded its practice groups significantly in order to support the growing demand from clients.
Arnold & Porter
This firm has seen very rapid growth – as much as 35% in some practices – in the past several years. Arnold & Porter provides a great place to work for lawyers interested in complex litigation and intellectual property.
Crowell & Moring
Crowell & Moring’s more than 500 attorneys across six offices has continued to grow over the past several years, including tripling the size of its Orange County office. They continue to expand their roster of clients and fill firm-wide hiring needs in order to help their clients achieve their goals.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper has become the world’s largest law firm with over 4 , 000 attorneys around the world. This DC-based law firm has seen rapid growth and has places well in multiple "best places to work" lists. DLA Piper offers good lawyer development opportunities for those looking to enhance their career.
Hogan Lovells
This well-established DC law firm is looking for top attorneys to fill a number of openings in 2018. Hogan Lovells has a long history in the area and actively recruits top talent to support its expanding litigation, white collar, intellectual property and business practices.
Husch Blackwell
This firm has seen wild changes since its recent merger with Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. Its new talent acquisition program has continued to position it for success in the capital region. Husch Blackwell continues to expand its footprint in Washington, DC.
K&L Gates
With over 150 attorneys in its Washington, DC office, this fast-growing firm has positions available across a wide variety of practice areas, including finance and real estate. K&L Gates looks to hire up-and-coming as well as senior attorneys to support its growing client base.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
With a growing demand from its client base, this mid-sized firm has plenty of vacancies to fill. The recent mergers with two California based law firms has positioned this firm for growth in a number of practice areas.
Key Legal Positions in Demand
In the competitive landscape of the Washington, D.C. legal market, firms are not just on the lookout for well-rounded lawyers; they are also aggressively pursuing the top paralegals and legal assistants as part of their growth strategies. These professional support roles are highly valued as firms seek to provide superior services while managing costs and increasing efficiency.
In addition, firms are actively seeking IT and administrative professionals to help law offices run smoothly and effectively. Sophisticated law firms need skilled technologists to manage and optimize data, meet client technology demands, and stay competitive.
Some of the most in-demand roles in Washington, DC law firms are lawyers with experience in:
Government contracts
Health care
White collar criminal defense
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Energy
The legal professionals who have top-tier qualifications and demonstrated skill sets in these areas are in high demand across the full spectrum of law firm practice and management functions. Both large and small firms are being extremely selective about the expertise and qualities they are looking for in their next hires.
Compared to firms in other major markets in the U.S, D.C. law firms are opportunistic in recruiting lighter-weight partners, as well as those who offer niche practices. This approach is allowing them to grow their practice areas quickly, while capitalizing on the close-knit legal community in D.C.
As the market continues to shift, the connection between law firm legal hiring and strategic business development becomes more important.
How a Candidate Can Differentiate Themselves
As the legal market begins to show signs of a recovery in Washington, DC, law firms are actively hiring and looking for candidates to fill their open spots. Therefore, it is a great time for applicants to get some insight into how they can improve their chances of standing out from the rest of the pack.
When applying for a position, it is always best to tailor your materials to the specific firm and/or position at hand. It is no secret that firms want to hire people who are interested in them and what they are doing. They want lawyers who are committed to their practice and who will continue to develop their skills and produce work in the same manner once they are on board. Therefore, when applying to a firm or position, let the reader know that you understand the firm’s primary practice areas and the focus of the position. When talking to an interview committee, demonstrate that you are connected to issues that are important to the firm. This means that it is essential to do your due diligence in researching the firms you wish to join. Through reading press releases, watching what advertising the firms are doing, checking their websites, and looking at recent news stories and publications, applicants are able to become familiar with the firms and the positions they need to fill. An applicant who knows the in’s and out’s of a firm will come off as much more dedicated and promising to employers.
In addition to tailoring your application materials to the needs of the firms, you can further distinguish yourself from other applicants by showcasing your own unique talents. Every law firm wants to hire new attorneys who will add additional qualities to a firm that other lawyers are not already bringing to the table. To show that you are unique and interesting, include special artwork or other achievements to your resume or application materials that are attractive and showcase your personality and varied talent. Whether it be a unique publication or artwork, see if there is something you possess that could set you apart from the rest. When going through numerous applicants for the same position, that extra quality can be what the committee is searching for. As long as it is tasteful, it can show a deeper side to your personality that a committee may find to be desirable.
Also, be sure to keep up with networking and social activities. Being active within your legal community is essential. Build your network, make yourself known, and don’t be afraid to make connections and ask for favors. If you’re likeable and make a good impression on everyone you meet, you will be able to expand your network and create many new relationships that could be beneficial to your job search.
Effect of Current Events on DC Legal Industry
Employers and recruiters for DC law firms tell us on a relatively regular basis that they have a tough time keeping up with all of the changes in the political, economic, and social landscape out here. Merriam Webster includes "politics" and "social" as separate definitions in their dictionary, but in my opinion those words are synonymous in the District of Columbia, and the constant interplay between the two defines Washington as an ever – evolving, ground zero environment, with new opportunities in both the commercial and legal spheres arising daily.
Put succinctly, the traditional parameters of the political sphere in Washington have been radically altered, and with them, the practice of law in the nation’s capital. The past few weeks alone, with the abrupt end of one administration that was so proudly self-dubbed "the most transparent in history", and the almost immediate installation of the next, has made plain that even the allegedly most predictable of outcomes can be jeopardized by a single tweet or policy adjustment from the White House . The economy, after a sluggish September and October, which prompted warnings from the International Financial Institution, has made an abrupt about face, and is expected to turn out more than 200,000 new jobs in under 0.4 percent unemployment rate in Washington.
What does this mean for you? It means that DC firms are solidly optimistic, and in this year alone reported over three thousand lawyers needed for their expanding practices. In fact, all sectors of the legal industry are hiring, from those seeking corporate attorneys to those focused on litigation and intellectual property, and much more. Washington is a booming city, with a young and expanding demographic, and the legal field is reinserting itself into prime territory. Traditional specialties are benefitting, but so are those specializing in modern law; attorneys in New Age fields, such as mobile applications, cannabis law, humanoid technology, telemedicine, and the gig economy, are firmly seizing the opportunities available and readily benefitting from the new and expanding client bases that those industries provide.
How the DC Law Firm Hire Process Works
To begin, all obviously candidates in the Washington legal market—and in all top markets for that matter—should always be applying through their law school career services offices, and many times through lateral partner placement officers as well—and they should make sure that those professionals in those offices have been made aware of their interest. That being said, with the application, uncoerced submissions to recruiters (law firm and otherwise) is an option. However, that is not the end of the story regardless of which option a candidate chooses.
All DC law firms operate a summer associate program that takes place between the completion of the 1L and/or 2L years. The vast majority of these firms have recruiters attend as well as host receptions at law schools each fall. From our point of view, this is the single most important time for a candidate to actually apply. At that point in time, when doing so, candidates should ensure that they always have up-to-date resumes that reflect weekends (not just semester GPAs) in addition to any outside activities and good experiences at the law school in question. Candidates should also come prepared with a list, in priority order of preference, of law firms they might like to work with. When we say this, we are not stating that you cannot work with a more senior person who might know of available positions and contacts within firms; we simply mean that you should be selective as to whom you work with in order to avoid surprises.
All firms in DC (as elsewhere) have a search committee that winnows down the pile of applications and resumes. These committees are made up of law firm partners and sometimes associates as well. They then recommend certain candidates to the hiring partner to get interviews scheduled. Sometimes the interviews are a simple day, and in other cases they will send you to members of their firm. In cases where you will be going from one firm to another, it gets very important that you have more than one law firm recruiter facilitating the application process.
The interview process can start from the recruiter in some cases, however, and then goes from there. In other cases, it starts with the candidate itself directly submitting high-quality call sheets to the law firm contact in question and then getting a recruiter involved if needed. In either case, the law firm generally does not make a final decision until it hears back from the candidate in terms of interest after the decision is made. This is critical because when known, such information may help nudge the law firm.
Is There a Future in DC for Legal Jobs
The future landscape of legal employment in Washington, DC will likely be shaped by an interplay of technology, policy shifts, and evolving legal service delivery models. As technology continues to advance, firms may employ predictive analytics for client acquisition and retention, while machine learning algorithms could streamline legal research and document review, freeing up lawyers to focus on higher-level analysis and client interaction. Simultaneously, the ongoing push for alternative legal service providers may challenge law firms to rethink their service delivery models, leading to either collaboration or competition with these entities.
Moreover, evolving client expectations may prompt firms to place a greater emphasis on industry expertise and deep sector knowledge, rather than solely on traditional legal skills . This shift could lead to a more specialized practice environment where lawyers are expected to have a broader understanding of their clients’ businesses and industries, not just their legal needs.
The impact of policies addressing remote work could also play a significant role in the future of DC law firms. As remote work becomes more normalized, firms may reevaluate their office space requirements and geographic hiring practices, potentially leading to a more geographically diverse workforce that focuses on client needs rather than physical location.
Ultimately, the future outlook for legal jobs in DC is uncertain but ripe with potential for those who are willing to adapt to the changing landscape.