According to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Legal Fee Analysis, litigators in Washington, D.C. have the highest billing rates in the nation. The survey found that a quarter of full-time litigators in the capital reported billing rates of $951 to over $1,300, which is the highest tier tracked by the association. This is significantly higher than the billing rates reported by litigators in other major cities, such as San Francisco.
Terry Jesse, the executive director of the National Association of Legal Fee Analysis, stated that Washington, D.C. is the top billing city and is likely to maintain this status for the foreseeable future. The survey included responses from over 24,000 litigators in 24 cities, with more than 2,000 litigators from D.C. participating. Of those respondents, nearly 200 reported billing rates of at least $1,201 per hour.
In addition to the litigators in the highest billing tier, 51% of D.C. litigators reported billing rates between $701 and $950, while another 22% reported rates between $451 and $700. Jesse suggested that the presence of large law firms in D.C. and higher starting salaries for associates could be contributing factors to the city’s high billing rates.
The survey results highlight the lucrative nature of legal work in Washington, D.C. and shed light on the factors driving the city’s high billing rates. As the legal industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how billing rates in different cities fluctuate and what impact this has on the legal profession as a whole.