Public Law & Government · speciality monitor
Administrative & Constitutional Law: lateral monitor
Lawyers whose work centers on Administrative & Constitutional Law and who changed firm over the last 12 months, set against the Public Law & Government practice and the market.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 101
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- -21.8%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 39.6%
- Partner share of moves
- 71
- Firms that hired
What the data show
In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 101 lawyers joined a new firm in Administrative & Constitutional Law from November 2025 to October 2026. On settled windows the count went from 133 to 104, down 21.8% year on year. The market as a whole moved +9.0%, so this flow lagged it.
| Measure | Here | Public Law & Government | Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 39.6% | 34.1% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 18.8% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 41.6% | 48.0% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 14.9% | 13.2% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | 18.3% | 22.8% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 45.5% | 38.5% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | fell (-21.8%) | flat (-4.9%) | rose (+9.0%) |
12 months to October 2026 unless the row says three years; a row switches to three years for every column when this page's 12-month value is not published. A dash is a value we do not publish. Flat means a change under 5% or inside the noise of the two counts.
Against the Public Law & Government practice as a whole, the widest gap is the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers, which is higher here: 45.5% against 38.5%. Year on year it fell while the Public Law & Government practice as a whole held flat.
Over the three years to October 2026, 370 lawyers moved in Administrative & Constitutional Law, 143 of them partners (38.6%). They joined 187 different firms. 14.6% stepped up a level on the move and 22.4% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 42.1% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner39.6%
- Counsel18.8%
- Associate41.6%
At 39.6%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 44 to 41 (-6.8%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 14.9% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers45.5%
- 400-999 lawyers23.8%
- 150-399 lawyers24.8%
- under 150 lawyers5.9%
The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. 187 firms hired at least one lateral in Administrative & Constitutional Law in the window. Ten firms account for 21.0% of arrivals, against 12.2% across the market: moderately concentrated. DLA Piper ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.
- 1,000+ lawyers42.1%
- 400-999 lawyers27.7%
- 150-399 lawyers13.6%
- under 150 lawyers16.6%
Washington, DC ranks first among destination cities with 19.8% of arrivals. 18.3% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.
There were 54 open roles in Administrative & Constitutional Law on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.
As moves in Administrative & Constitutional Law ease, the candidates worth hiring are mostly not looking, so a search here starts with outreach rather than inbound.
Firms by rank and band
Each firm appears as a rank and a band, never an exact count, and only with at least 10 moves in the window.
| Rank | Firm | Moves (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DLA Piper | 11-20 |
| 2 | Norton Rose Fulbright | 6-10 |
| 3 | Fieldfisher | 6-10 |
| 4 | Greenberg Traurig | 6-10 |
| 5 | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | 6-10 |
| 6 | Dentons | 6-10 |
| 7 | Steptoe | 6-10 |
| 8 | Taft Stettinius & Hollister | 3-5 |
| 9 | Cozen O'Connor | 3-5 |
| 10 | Holland & Hart | 3-5 |
Deals in Administrative & Constitutional Law
Sartori & Partners data count 635 dated deals in Administrative & Constitutional Law in the 12 months to October 2026 and 1,808 over the three years to October 2026.
Disputes & investigations work is involved in 91.8% of them.
By client industry, Government & Public Sector comes first with 18.9%.
Leigh Day ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 41-60 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leigh Day | 41-60 |
| 2 | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | 41-60 |
| 3 | Jones Day | 41-60 |
| 4 | Duncan Lewis Solicitors | 41-60 |
| 5 | Jenner & Block | 41-60 |
| 6 | WilmerHale | 21-40 |
| 7 | Irwin Mitchell | 21-40 |
| 8 | Sidley Austin | 21-40 |
| 9 | Munger, Tolles & Olson | 21-40 |
| 10 | Hogan Lovells Cadwalader | 21-40 |
Time to partner in Administrative & Constitutional Law
39 lawyers were promoted to partner in Administrative & Constitutional Law in the 12 months to May 2026, 234 over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 10.0 years, with the middle half between 8.0 years and 12.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 80.9% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 157 promotions.
Related monitors and reports
Other specialities in Public Law & Government
Hiring in this market
Reports
- Administrative Law: Partners Held Flat as Hiring Fell 21.8%
Administrative and constitutional law moves numbered 104 in the settled 12 months against 133 a year earlier, so hiring fell 21.8%, while partner hiring held flat (-6.8%). Partners are now 39.6% of moves, against 34.1% in public law.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026
Edition November 2026. Window: November 2025 to October 2026. Source: Sartori & Partners, from public law-firm announcements, firm websites and professional profiles, checked monthly. Methodology. Spot an error? [email protected].
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