Overview of Health Law Positions
The District of Columbia is an attractive destination for health law attorneys in the early stages of their careers. There are many prestigious health law firms and boutique firm/group practices to join that focus on healthcare regulatory and transactional matters (with firms having offices in Virginia and Maryland as well). These firms represent established clients such as health systems, hospitals, health plans and long-term care facilities, all of which are plentiful in the D.C./Maryland/N.VA. area. There are also boutique firms focused on litigation work with government agencies as well as a handful of well-known firms that offer general litigation services for regulated industry matters. Additional private practice options that would be available in the D.C. area include representation of healthcare industry clients by practices that focus on intellectual property, executive compensation and employee benefits, securitization and tax. The associate positions at larger firms (of over 100 attorneys) will be competitive in nature and typically require very high academic credentials (top law school/grades). Some of the more well-established and larger D.C. firms employ filing clerks to assist with more substantive work.
Private sector employers in-house with healthcare/health system clients or in their Washington, D.C. legal offices/offices of general counsel employ attorneys and contract managers as well. These positions would be with the government relations function or corporate governance/compliance function , not with the organization’s affiliated healthcare delivery system (hospitals/staff models) or with a physician group practics. Most in-house attorneys who are employed in Washington, D.C. however, will lead with one of these three areas of focus – government relations, corporate governance/compliance or work with a non-physician group practice that is not hospital-based in D.C./Virginia (those who do so will likely be primarily focused on the rules and regulations of private health plans). The entry level opportunity for most in-house general counsels is via a non-legal position (such as a government relations specialist) and/or attendance at law school. Government relations professionals handle all of a health system’s community/public relations matters and often are responsible for reporting to the American Hospital Association.
The government employs healthcare attorneys in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and related entities, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and other select agencies. Attorneys also may support government investigations and other litigation arising from government actions. Criminal attorneys are employed by the DOJ, HHS OIG and FDA. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia hires government attorneys for criminal and civil litigation matters.
Think tanks and associations also employ attorneys focused on healthcare policy issues.
Major Employers in Washington D.C.’s Health Law Community
Law firms are a major part of the health law sector in Washington. Currently, the following firms have the largest number of health law practitioners: Hogan Lovells; Dentons US LLP; Reed Smith LLP; Greenberg Traurig, LLP; McDermott Will & Emery LLP; DLA Piper LLP (US); King & Spalding LLP; Patton Boggs LLP; and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. In addition, several firms merged in the past year with health law practices: K&L Gates looks to strengthen its health care practice with its merger with Bell, Boyd & Lloyd; Jones Day in June announced plans to merge with the health law practice at 10-attorney firm Onek, Schott, Hook & Van de Graaf.
The federal government continues to be a major employer of health law professionals in the nation’s capital. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services employs nearly 80 lawyers in Washington. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 59 lawyers in Washington.
Non-profit and research institutions are also common employers of health law professionals in Washington. The National Geographic Society, the American Association for Justice, and the American Cancer Society are among the major non-profit institutions employing attorneys.
Skills and Experiences Required
A prerequisite to working in the health law field in Washington D.C. is possessing a law degree from a highly respected law school. Many health law firms in D.C. will not hire applicants who do not have a law degree from the top 50 U.S. law schools ranked by US News and World Report. Other kinds of locally based health law jobs such as government or non-profit work may not employ this rigid standard of law school excellence, but having a nationally ranked law degree can still open a lot of doors for you down the road.
For traditional law firm health law work, a Juris Doctorate is a must to pass the licensing exam for law, and this degree sets you on the path to becoming an expert in laws governing the various aspects of health law. Doctors of Jurisprudence can specialize further by passing their bar exam and being hired by specific health practice areas, thereby developing deep legal expertise in certain fields, such as billing or coverage, which is highly valued in the D.C. area. A growing number of advanced legal degrees are emerging in health-related areas of law, such as LLMs in health care.
For other paths potentially less focused on deep health law expertise and without the same level of educational rigor, specifically for work with the federal government, a Bachelor’s or other Bachelor’s can be acceptable, and advanced degrees are not as important. This would include government agencies such as Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services or HHS. Similarly, non-profit organizations such as the Kaiser Family Foundation or the American Cancer Society also hire legal assistants or program assistants, typically a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant health-related field is sufficient for those interested in working as legal aids in D.C. health law settings.
Trends in Health Law
Washington D.C. has long been a center for health law talent and expertise, housing a variety of law firms, government agencies, and non-profit organizations focusing on the field. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed further changes to the landscape, shaping the current trends that aspiring health law professionals should watch: adaptability, technology, and regulatory complexity. One of the most significant developments in D.C. health law is the increasing emphasis on digital tools and remote work flexibility. Law firms have embraced cloud-based software, allowing attorneys to collaborate seamlessly regardless of location. This shift not only facilitates remote work but also improves work-life balance, which is foundational in an area as demanding as health law. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) also means that attorneys must hone unique skills that AI cannot replicate. Excellence in strategic thinking, negotiation, and relationship management is crucial. Those who can skillfully navigate complex negotiations, balancing interests among different stakeholders, are all the more invaluable. D.C. has always been a hub of regulatory complexity, and this is no different in the era of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However , changes to the ACA and other healthcare laws continue to complicate the legal landscape. Now more than ever, strong interpersonal skills are essential, as the ability to communicate effectively with clients, regulators, and other stakeholders is essential. Regulatory changes are another area of focus, affecting not only compliance-related jobs but also influencing broader legal practices. With a wave of healthcare reforms and regulatory updates, attorneys with deep knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act have high earning potential. Understanding the nuances of fraud, abuse, and enforcement actions further increases your marketability. Considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, many health law attorneys have had to adapt. Telehealth suddenly became a necessity, opening a new front in legal and ethical dilemmas. Regulatory changes facilitated the rapid adoption of telehealth, and navigating these new waters has kept health law professionals particularly busy. Mastering these issues can put you at the forefront of an increasingly important sector. In short, adaptability, technology, empathy, and regulatory insight are the driving forces behind current trends in D.C. health law.
Networking & Professional Development
Professional organizations, industry events, and other networking opportunities are vital for aspiring and current health law attorneys to expand their knowledge, make connections in the D.C. area, and put themselves in the best possible position for career advancements. These opportunities are plentiful in Washington D.C., given the city’s central role in the nation’s healthcare system and its status as a global leader in health law. As a starting point, one recommended first step is to join the American Health Lawyers Association, which is a professional association developing the skills and professional identity of attorneys who work in various sectors of the healthcare field. From this one organization, you may then be led into other relevant groups that focus on your specific sector of the industry or your particular legal specialty as it relates to healthcare. Industry events like panel discussions and talks by some of the leading minds in the field should also be on your radar. Pay attention to local universities and research institutions, as well as any government bodies like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as they will hold informative events at various points throughout the calendar year. These groups and events are great places to meet people within the field of health law in Washington D.C. that can help you ascend the ranks of whatever sector of this industry you’re aiming to work in. From academic professionals to medical researchers, to healthcare policy experts and healthcare executives, you’ll be able to create a network of influential and useful contacts that can help guide you through your health law career.
Salary & Career Advancement
Health law professionals in Washington DC can choose from a variety of different paths to secure careers in law firms, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and academia. However, no matter where they find themselves, specialists within the increasingly important field of health law can expect to earn stable and often lucrative salaries.
Complete ALA’s 2015 Compensation and Benefits Study Survey, conducted for the first time with its newly expanded membership base, found that an entry-level position with a Wiiliam H. Sadler member firm earned a mean annual salary of $66,422. For associates, the mean rises to $101,802 for non-equity positions and $186,197 for equity positions. In March 2016, the Labor and Employment Group at King & Spalding announced that it expected to hire 20 additional associates at its Washington DC location, which could bring the mean annual salary for those in the field working in the nation’s capital even higher (not to mention lead to salary increases for mid-level and senior staff members).
Health policy analysts earned a mean annual wage of $112,930 in 2013, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics—and this number is certain to rise as this niche field advances in complexity, necessitating higher wages and new programs to attract talent. With an average of $109,000 in annual income, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) currently offers one of the highest rates of pay for professionals in this domain. Despite being one of the most reputable institutions in the nation, however , the NIH recently expressed concern about its ability to remain competitive with the private sector in terms of salary packages.
Barristers and solicitors in the field of health care law can earn anywhere from $52,000 to $175,000 per year, depending on years of experience and specialization. As with other fields of law, attorneys who have been practicing for 10 years or more are more easily able to demand these higher rates than their less experienced counterparts. Much as the employees of the NIH have expressed increasing concern with their compensation, so, too, have health care lawyers. The AMA Journal of Ethics notes that "the U.S. system of valuing some expert witness medical testimony over other expert opinion has been called into question" both by lower and higher courts, and "recent state legislation pertaining to expert testimony in medical malpractice cases has placed far more value on the testimony of lower-cost witnesses, especially at the appellate level." (That cost is also much higher when doctors are procured and compensated to act as witnesses, a fact that adds further financial burdens to the practice.) Further compounding this issue is the growth of the Affordable Care Act, which has added new regulatory and compliance guidelines that lawyers must navigate to keep their health care clients—hospitals, nursing homes, and health systems—businesses afloat.
That said, DC-area professionals in health law can enjoy a powerful salary in the upper range of the average annual wage for lawyers, which is $155,300, according to the BLS. For skilled, hardworking attorneys, the options for career growth in Washington DC are nearly endless.