Washington, D.C. Firms

Surprisingly, the population of the District of Columbia, as of 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, is only 582,049 persons. However, the Washington Metropolitan Area surpasses 5 million persons, and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area surpasses 8 million. The global migration of professionals to DC over the past century has made meeting a native-born Washingtonian a rare occasion. If DC were a state, it would rank last in area behind Rhode Island, 50th in population ahead of Wyoming, first in population density ahead of New Jersey, and 35th in Gross State Product.

As of 2002, the federal government accounts for 27% of DC's jobs. The presence of many major government agencies, including the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration, has led to business development both in the District itself as well as in the National Capital Region of Maryland and northern Virginia. These businesses include federal contractors (defense and civilian), numerous nonprofit organizations, law firms and lobbying firms, catering and administrative services companies, and several other industries that are sustained by the economic presence of the federal government. This arrangement makes the Washington economy virtually recession-proof relative to the rest of the country and the economy often grows during national recessions.

The gross state product of the District in 2004 was $75.264 billion. It would rank #36 if compared with the fifty states. In 2006, Expansion Magazine ranked DC among the top 10 metropolitan areas in the nation for climates favorable to business expansion. In terms of commercial office space, Washington, D.C. has the 3rd largest downtown in America behind New York City and Chicago. Of non-government employers, DC's major universities and hospitals are among the top employers with George Washington University, Georgetown University and Washington Hospital Center as the top three. Howard University and Fannie Mae round out the top five employers in DC. Washington is also a global media center. Most major news outlets have bureaus in the city and Washington is home to Black Entertainment Television, C-SPAN, National Public Radio, the Washington Post Company, and XM Satellite Radio. Washington's unique scenery makes it a popular location for film and television production.

With nearly 14 times as many lawyers as New York state, DC has the highest number of lawyers, per capita, compared to any state.

Methodology

This ranking is based on how much over 6,000 associates like their own firms. This ranking does not include prestige, salary or other factors except as they influence how much an associate enjoys working at his or her firm, and how likely said associate is to stay at his or her current firm. Associates from all law firms did not participate. Only firms with 10 or more respondents are included.

»See also: »Vault Guide to the Top Washington, DC Law Firms, 2006 Edition » DC Patent Firms, »The Best Law Blogs, »Top City Cost of Living Comparisons, »Most Lawyers per Capita

Best Washington Firms to Work For

Rank	Law Firm	Main Office	Total Midlevels	Response Rate	Score (0-100)
1	Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner	Washington, D.C.	55	44%	90.0
2	Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice	Winston-Salem	48	48%	89.0
3	Ross, Dixon & Bell	Washington, D.C.	20	80%	88.0
4	Thompson Hine	Cleveland	57	35%	87.4
4	Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi	Minneapolis	57	37%	87.0
4	Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky	Washington, D.C.	57	49%	86.6
7	Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young	Philadelphia	18	94%	86.2
8	Fish & Richardson	National	76	54%	83.6
9	Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe	San Francisco	102	49%	82.8
9	Thompson Coburn	St. Louis	39	54%	82.8
9	Troutman Sanders	Atlanta	110	40%	82.8
12	Cooley Godward	Palo Alto	98	60%	81.8
13	Fulbright & Jaworski	Houston	125	44%	81.2
13	Seyfarth Shaw	National	88	52%	80.8
15	Vinson & Elkins	Houston	124	68%	80.4
15	Powell Goldstein	Atlanta	35	31%	80.0
15	Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton	Los Angeles	74	39%	80.0
15	Howrey	Washington, D.C.	102	61%	79.6
19	Crowell & Moring	Washington, D.C.	46	46%	79.0
19	Pepper Hamilton	Philadelphia	90	63%	79.0
19	Drinker Biddle & Reath	Philadelphia	74	46%	78.8
19	Nixon Peabody	National	78	23%	78.8
19	Buchanan Ingersoll	Pittsburgh	39	77%	78.6
24	Hunton & Williams	Richmond	145	42%	78.4
24	Baker Botts	Houston	117	23%	77.6
24	Schiff Hardin	Chicago	42	40%	77.6
27	Goodwin Procter	Boston	145	65%	77.4
27	Morrison & Foerster	San Francisco	167	60%	77.2
27	Porter Wright Morris & Arthur	Columbus	38	58%	77.2
27	Blank Rome	Philadelphia	56	34%	76.8
31	LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae	National	122	49%	76.2
31	Weil, Gotshal & Manges	New York	241	22%	75.8
31	Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton	New York	184	19%	75.6
31	Katten Muchin Rosenman	Chicago	99	85%	75.6
35	Alston & Bird	Atlanta	158	24%	75.2
35	Baker & Hostetler	Cleveland	83	64%	75.2
35	Manatt, Phelps & Phillips	Los Angeles	31	55%	75.2
35	Venable	Washington, D.C.	58	36%	75.2
35	Chadbourne & Parke	New York	36	36%	75.0
35	Jones Day	National	324	17%	75.0
35	Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough	Columbia, South Carolina	63	38%	75.0
35	Clifford Chance	International	75	36%	74.8
35	Duane Morris	Philadelphia	44	68%	74.6
35	Reed Smith	Pittsburgh	156	52%	74.6
45	King & Spalding	Atlanta	146	50%	74.2
45	Dechert	National	182	34%	73.8
45	Hogan & Hartson	National	176	21%	73.8
45	Thacher Proffitt & Wood	New York	57	30%	73.8
45	Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr	Washington, D.C.	250	36%	73.8
50	Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman	National	137	51%	73.4
50	Wiley Rein & Fielding	Washington, D.C.	36	33%	73.4
50	Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker	National	163	96%	73.0
50	Bryan Cave	National	109	64%	72.8
50	McKenna Long & Aldridge	National	46	72%	72.6
55	Kenyon & Kenyon	New York	43	30%	72.4
55	DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary	National	232	53%	72.2
55	Latham & Watkins	National	463	32%	72.2
55	McDermott, Will & Emery	National	178	32%	72.0
55	Hughes Hubbard & Reed	New York	54	50%	71.8
55	Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal	Chicago	78	23%	71.8
55	Sidley Austin	National	283	47%	71.6
62	Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy	New York	109	46%	71.2
62	Dow, Lohnes & Albertson	Washington, D.C.	28	71%	71.0
64	Morgan, Lewis & Bockius	National	268	47%	70.4
64	Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham	Pittsburgh	142	62%	70.2
64	Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom	New York	371	14%	70.2
64	Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld	National	120	49%	70.0
64	Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw	National	181	42%	70.0
64	Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher	Los Angeles	219	47%	69.8
64	Foley & Lardner	Milwaukee	163	41%	69.6
71	Arent Fox	Washington, D.C.	28	57%	68.8
72	Steptoe & Johnson	Washington, D.C.	57	46%	68.4
72	Holland & Knight	National	118	90%	68.0
72	White & Case	International	150	48%	67.8
75	Winston & Strawn	Chicago	141	27%	67.4
75	Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson	New York	137	41%	67.2
75	Preston Gates & Ellis	Seattle	47	30%	67.2
75	O'Melveny & Myers	Los Angeles	244	39%	67.0
75	Kelley Drye & Warren	New York	42	64%	66.6
75	Kirkland & Ellis	Chicago	300	47%	66.6
81	Bingham McCutchen	National	176	42%	66.2
81	Ropes & Gray	Boston	194	31%	65.8
81	Proskauer Rose	New York	133	36%	65.6
84	Heller Ehrman	San Francisco	113	53%	65.4
84	Willkie Farr & Gallagher	New York	117	30%	64.6
86	Dewey Ballantine	New York	78	49%	62.8
87	Arnold & Porter	Washington, D.C.	140	53%	62.0
88	Shearman & Sterling	New York	162	26%	60.4
88	Sullivan & Cromwell	New York	171	83%	60.4
90	Covington & Burling	Washington, D.C.	125	40%	58.4
90	Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft	New York	113	38%	58.0