Law firms surpass government as DC’s largest office leasing driver

Washington, DC’s highest leasing office tenant industry since 2016 has been Government tenants (20.7 msf leased) followed by Law Firm tenants (13 msf). In recent years, law firms have surpassed government tenants in total space leased. Law firms are ranked annually by total revenue generated and these rankings make up the Am Law 100, with DC having a large concentration of those top 100 firms.

Since 2016, Am Law 100 firms make up, on average, 58% of the total law firm leasing per year in DC (averaging 758k sf of leases per year) compared to law firms outside of the top 100’s 42% share (546k sf leased). That proportion was even higher pre-pandemic – from 2016-2020, Am Law 100 firms made up 64% of all leasing which fell to just 52% in 2021-2025.

As companies scaled back real estate spending in the wake of the pandemic, including law firms, Am Law 100 firms average lease size in 2022 was 40,000 sf, a 40% drop from five years prior. Since that time, that average lease size has climbed 71% to 68,000 sf, surpassing most pre-pandemic years’ average lease size. For non-Am Law 100 firms, average lease sizes have increased by an even greater magnitude, growing 117% from 10,400 sf in 2022 to 22,600 sf as of 2025. This growth indicates law firms, regardless of prestige or revenue rankings, are investing in a presence in the nation’s capital.