Astonishingly, it has 1,356 per cent more lawyers per head than in New York, according to Above the Law. One in 25 of the US's lawyers are based in Washington DC - even though only one in 500 US residents lives there. Lawyers have flourished in the city and have found numerous roles in Congress, the regulatory bodies, non-profit entities and lobbying firms (and some also work in law firms). 

Ranking the firms through an employee survey, Above The Law placed Patton Bloggs top on pay; Steptoe and Johnson first on hours, morale and training; and Arent Fox top on culture and colleagues.