Choosing a DC Law Firm

Whether because you want to do government work, live near the Patent Office, or just like being surrounded by history, you've decided you want to work in DC. The nation's capital holds the headquarters of some of the country's most prestigious law firms and work in any practice area you might desire. This article compares the top five DC-headquartered firms from the 2024 DC regional prestige rankings. For more DC options, you can review Vault’s DC prestige rankings and the Vault profiles of any firms you’re interested in.

The five top-ranked DC-based firms based on Vault’s 2024 regional prestige rankings are Covington & Burling; Williams & Connolly; WilmerHale; Hogan Lovells; and Arnold & Porter. Below are a few relevant highlights about each of these firms.

Covington & Burling

The #1 firm in DC and #15 in the 2024 Vault Law 100, Covington & Burling operates five U.S. and eight international offices, including its DC headquarters.  Covington & Burling is the top firm in the nation for White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations based on our Practice Area rankings, and it has eight other Practice Area rankings in our top ten. The firm employs over 1,000 attorneys and associates here describe the culture as collegial and a bit formal, with a billable hour requirement of 1,950. Partnership here is transparent but difficult, but counsel roles are available both on a transitional and more permanent basis.

Williams & Connolly

Williams & Connolly holds the #3 spot in Vault’s DC prestige rankings this year and also sits at #22 in the overall Vault Law 100. Williams & Connolly operates out of a single office in DC, employing over 250 attorneys there. The firm ranks #1 in two of our Best Law Firms to Work For categories, Business Outlook and Selectivity. The firm as also the top Appellate Litigation shop in the country. Associates call the culture collegial and respectful. The firm has no formal billable hour requirement and is flexible on when and where work is done. Partnership here is transparent, and the firm almost never brings partners in laterally, preferring to promote from within.

WilmerHale

Landing at #7 in Vault’s 2024 DC prestige rankings and claiming the #21 position in the Vault Law 100, WilmerHale is another full-service national powerhouse. Headquartered in DC, they have over 1,000 lawyers operating from seven U.S. and five international offices. The firm is notably #12 Overall in our Best Law Firms to Work For rankings, and is similarly strong in our Diversity Rankings, at #13 Overall. Associates report a laid-back and collegial culture despite the firm's prestige, with a reasonable billable hour requirement for which unlimited pro bono hours are credited. Making partner here is difficult and somewhat opaque, but exit opportunities to in-house and government work are strong.

Hogan Lovells

Ranked at #8 in Vault’s 2024 DC prestige rankings and at #28 in the Vault Law 100, Hogan Lovells is an enormous international firm, employing over 2,500 lawyers in 15 U.S. and 31 international offices. The firm ranks at #4 in two of our Practice Area rankings, Health Care and Privacy & Data Security. The culture is collegial and professional, and the firm strongly encourages in-person work to meet the billable hour requirement of 2,000. Partnership is achievable, but most associates expect to spend time in a transitional counsel role first.

Arnold & Porter

Arnold & Porter sits at #9 in our DC prestige rankings and at #34 in the Vault Law 100. Another large international firm, Arnold & Porter has over 750 attorneys working from ten U.S. and five international offices. The firm does well in our Best Law Firms to Work For rankings at #38 overall, and also does very well in several practice areas, notably at #3 in Environmental Law and #5 in Products Liability. The culture is pleasant and collegial, and the firm has a 2,000 total hour requirement (1,800 billable) to be eligible for bonuses. Partnership is difficult but possible, but non-partner roles and exit opportunities are all strong here as well.

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No matter how similar different BigLaw firms may seem at first glance, the details reveal that each firm is a unique place. As for these five DC firms, if you want to do white collar defense work Covington & Burling is the firm to target. If you'd rather do appellate litigation, look very closely at Williams & Connolly. If you're more focused on a nice place to work, WilmerHale ranks highest in overall quality of life. You can learn more about all these firms (and many others) through Vault’s law firm profiles and the firms’ websites. Remember: Think hard about your priorities, because no one firm is best at everything.

Best of luck from all of us at Vault Law on your legal job search!