District of Columbia Legal Recruiters

The Legal Industry in the District of Columbia

 The federal government plays a significant role in the District of Columbia’s legal market. As its home, many of the federal government’s agencies, departments, and contractors are based there. With roughly 660,000 residents and over 80,000 practicing attorneys, D.C. has nine times more lawyers per capita than New York City.  

In addition to those employed directly by the U.S. government, attorneys at many of the area’s more prestigious law firms often end up helping clients in the private sector navigate the regulatory legal milieu as they start or expand businesses.  

As a result, some of the hottest practice specialties for lawyers in the District of Columbia include Intellectual Property Law, Privacy Law, Finance Law, Antitrust Law, and International Trade Law. Although the market has cooled slightly, attorneys with expertise in Environmental Law, Energy Law, Communications Law, and government contracts are still very much in demand.   

Is It Difficult to Practice Law in D.C.?

Although applicants for the D.C. Bar don’t need to graduate from an ABA-accredited law school, they first must pass 26 hours of coursework based on a variety of exam material before sitting for the D.C. Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). However, all applicants must have a Juris Doctor Degree (J.D.) or Master of Law Degree (L.L.M.) before taking the UBE.  

Once an applicant has passed the UBE, they must also complete a mandatory course on the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and District of Columbia Practice, as well as pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).  

The D.C. Bar will also accept Admission by Motion applications from attorneys in good standing who’ve already been practicing law in different U.S. jurisdiction for at least 5 years. For more information about how to practice law in the District of Columbia, please visit www.lawyeredu.org. 

Once admitted to the D.C. Bar, lawyers can take advantage of numerous professional organizations and employment opportunities. Like many areas of the country, the district’s legal industry saw strong demand and profit increases in 2021 – a promising trend that should continue over the next few years.