Careers in Washington, D.C.

Working at the intersection of business and government, we help clients navigate an increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscape. We’re at the forefront of events shaping the nation – and the world at large.

The facts about Washington, D.C.

• Our team includes over 500 lawyers and nearly 600 professionals.
• We typically have around 40-50 summer associates join us each year.
• Members of our office have held key positions in all levels of government, from both sides of the aisle.
• The office is located between the White House and the Capitol, near many government agencies, trade organizations, and other centers of power in our nation’s capital. We’re also directly over Metro Center on the Red Line. 
• Our office space offers state-of-the-art technology, areas for conversing and collaborating, height-adjustable desks and other wellness features, and beautifully designed coffee bars. 
• Our building has an onsite, emergency childcare center for children ages 2 months – 12 years, which is available to all employees.
• There is a fitness center on the lobby floor of our building, and membership is free for our employees.
• We like to stay connected – we get together regularly for office-wide celebrations, Citizenship activities, and informal get-togethers in the Hives (our communal spaces on each floor) or our subsidized, full-service cafeteria, 1904.

Our areas of practice

Under the umbrella of six main practice groups — Corporate, Finance, Litigation, Government Regulatory, Intellectual Property, and Pro Bono — our lawyers practice in more than 50 substantive areas. Virtually every practice group has a significant presence in our Washington, D.C. office.

Our professional services departments 

• Administrative Support
• Conflicts
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Knowledge Management and Legal Research
• Marketing and Business Development
• Office Services
• Practice Support

Our pro bono work 

Our lawyers have fought to protect immigrants, refugees, dual citizens, and others whose lives remain in the balance while the U.S. travel ban is fiercely litigated and frequently revised. We sprang to action shortly after the first executive order was issued in January 2017, and haven’t stopped fighting since. Building on our initial work challenging the ban as unconstitutional, we continue to represent the state of Hawaii in the matter.

Following more than 16 years of hard-fought litigation, we secured a US$24 million racial discrimination settlement for African-American Secret Service agents. The class settlement ensures that future generations of African-American Secret Service special agents are evaluated under a fair promotions process, allowing best qualified agents to be chosen for promotion and leadership positions.

We work with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence to draft and file amicus curiae briefs in cases across the country to help public officials resisting challenges to various handgun regulations.

In conjunction with the International Senior Lawyers’ Project, we’ve provided significant legal assistance to the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. We’ve played integral roles in establishing the Ministry’s General Counsel’s office, drafting legislation creating the Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (and developing regulations to implement the law), drafting comprehensive mental health legislation and reproductive health legislation, and making important revisions to the country’s public health laws.

We filed multiple amicus briefs in the landmark marriage equality cases United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry.

Our Pro Bono practice has been honored with tributes such as the American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award and the District of Columbia Bar’s Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year Award. It was also presented with two Outstanding Achievement Awards by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and was recognized as one of Law360's Pro Bono Firms of the year and on the National Law Journal’s Pro Bono Hot List. In addition, for over a decade, the Washington, D.C. office has been distinguished by the Pro Bono Committee of the District of Columbia’s federal courts for its performance as a "40 at 50" office, in which 40 percent of our lawyers performed 50 or more hours of pro bono work.

Our community outreach 

We regularly provide dinner for Calvary Women's Shelter, a 25-bed transitional housing program for women in need. Our Guest Services team prepares the food and provides all of the materials needed for the meal and volunteers then take it over to the shelter and help serve.

For more than a decade, we’ve collected in-kind and financial donations for Gifts for the Homeless, Inc. (GFTH), a nonprofit founded in 1986 and run by members of the Washington, D.C. legal community. We’re a recognized leader in donations to GFTH, which is the main source of clothing desperately needed by many homeless in the area.

Every summer we sponsor a lunch program called “Eat Less, Give More.” Under the program, our lawyers and their summer associate lunch guests can donate the cost of their lunch to one of three local nonprofit organizations that provide much needed services to our community. 

Members of our office contribute thousands of hours annually to our local community through volunteer activities at a variety of other organizations around the District.