How much should I charge as a lawyer in District of Columbia ?

Did you know that lawyers in District of Columbia typically charge between $239 and $567 per hour, with the average being $424? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in District of Columbia can provide valuable insight into how competitive your rates are and help you make strategic decisions regarding your billing rate.

Below, we’ve included further information on the average hourly rates in District of Columbia, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in District of Columbia.

Hourly rates in District of Columbia

Lawyers in District of Columbia typically charge between $239 and $567 per hour, with the average being $424. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $424 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $168.

Hourly rates in District of Columbia by practice area

Average hourly rates in District of Columbia vary by practice area. The table below includes the average hourly rate for attorneys in different practice areas.


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$496
Appellate$447
Bankruptcy$541
Business$399
Civil Litigation$502
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$411
Collections$353
Commercial | Sale of Goods$387
Construction$327
Contracts$347
Corporate$536
Criminal$330
Elder Law$339
Employment | Labor$501
Family$239
Government$541
Immigration$430
Insurance$502
Intellectual Property$519
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation | Arbitration$501
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$483
Personal Injury$371
Real Estate$382
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$357
Traffic Offenses$288
Trusts$567
Wills & Estates$412
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

District of Columbia's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for District of Columbia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $384. The average hourly rate for District of Columbia lawyers is $424 and the average for non-lawyers is $192.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $384, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $163.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $424, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $168.


District of Columbia's hourly rates adjusted for cost of living

When it come to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for District of Columbia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $330, while the average hourly rate for District of Columbia lawyers is $359 and non-lawyers is $163.

For comparison:
  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $330, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $183.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $359, while Alabama has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $189.

Note: Industry-wide data suggests the average lawyer could increase rates by an additional 3% to keep up with recent changes in the consumer price index (CPI) relative to 2019.

District of Columbia's utilization, realization, and collection rates

Key performance indicators (KPIs) offer valuable insights into a firm’s performance. This information helps lawyers understand how they and their employees are contributing to revenue generation, and can be instrumental in identifying areas for continuous improvement.

Lawyers should be familiar with the following KPIs:

  1. Utilization rate: How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 33%.
  2. Realization rate: How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 85%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 89%.

District of Columbia's utilization rate

The utilization rate for District of Columbia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 28%.

For comparison:
  • Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 42%, while New Hampshire has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 26%.

District of Columbia's realization rate

The realization rate for District of Columbia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 66%.

For comparison:
  • Idaho has the highest realization rate for law firms at 94%, while District of Columbia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 66%.

District of Columbia's collection rate

The collection rate for District of Columbia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 89%.

For comparison:
  • Minnesota has the highest collection rate for law firms at 92%, while Illinois has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 85%.

District of Columbia’s hourly rates over the last five reports

Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$424$359
2021 Legal Trends Report$411$348
2020 Legal Trends Report$380$322
2019 Legal Trends Report$348$295
2018 Legal Trends Report$327$277

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$384$330
2021 Legal Trends Report$373$320
2020 Legal Trends Report$342$294
2019 Legal Trends Report$321$272
2018 Legal Trends Report$306$259

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$192$163
2021 Legal Trends Report$187$158
2020 Legal Trends Report$189$160
2019 Legal Trends Report$169$143
2018 Legal Trends Report$159$134
Legal Trends Report

About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2023)

Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals using Clio. Each year, this data is analyzed and published within the Legal Trends Report, which provides ongoing, in-depth research into the most pressing issues faced by legal professionals.

Read the Legal Trends Report

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hourly rate of a lawyer in District of Columbia?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in District of Columbia is between $567 and $239 per hour, with the average being $424.

How much does a family lawyer charge in District of Columbia?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in District of Columbia is $239 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in District of Columbia?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in District of Columbia is $502 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in District of Columbia?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in District of Columbia is $330 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in District of Columbia?

Trusts attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in District of Columbia, earning $567 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in District of Columbia?

Family attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in District of Columbia, earning $239 per hour on average.