Public Law & Government · speciality monitor
Education Law: lateral monitor
Lawyers whose work centers on Education 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
- 46
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- +23.1%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 28.3%
- Partner share of moves
- 26
- Firms that hired
What the data show
From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 46 lateral moves in Education Law. On settled windows the count went from 39 to 48 (+23.1%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.
| Measure | Here | Public Law & Government | Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 28.3% | 34.1% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 21.7% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 50.0% | 48.0% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 17.4% | 13.2% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | 18.5% | 22.8% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 13.3% | 38.5% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | flat (+23.1%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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 lower here: 13.3% against 38.5%. Year on year it moved with the Public Law & Government practice as a whole: both flat.
Over the three years to October 2026, 134 lawyers moved in Education Law, 40 of them partners (29.9%). They joined 64 different firms. 11.2% stepped up a level on the move and 19.3% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 32.9% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner28.3%
- Counsel21.7%
- Associate50.0%
The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 28.3% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide. 17.4% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers13.3%
- 400-999 lawyers24.4%
- 150-399 lawyers55.6%
The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. 64 firms hired at least one lateral in Education Law in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 48.9% of arrivals (12.2% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.
- 1,000+ lawyers32.9%
- 400-999 lawyers20.5%
- 150-399 lawyers24.7%
- under 150 lawyers21.9%
18.5% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.
With volume in Education Law holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.
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 | Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo | 11-20 |
| 2 | McNees Wallace & Nurick | 6-10 |
| 3 | Thompson Coburn | 3-5 |
| 4 | Fisher & Phillips | 3-5 |
| 5 | Steptoe | 3-5 |
| 6 | Steptoe & Johnson | 3-5 |
| 7 | Taft Stettinius & Hollister | 3-5 |
Deals in Education Law
Sartori & Partners data count 98 dated deals in Education Law in the 12 months to October 2026 and 285 over the three years to October 2026.
Disputes & investigations work is involved in 90.9% of them.
By client industry, Education comes first with 44.6%.
Kasowitz Benson Torres ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 11-20 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kasowitz Benson Torres | 11-20 |
| 2 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | 6-10 |
| 3 | Liebert Cassidy Whitmore | 6-10 |
| 4 | Spencer Fane | 3-5 |
| 5 | Mayer Brown | 3-5 |
| 6 | Latham & Watkins | 3-5 |
| 7 | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | 3-5 |
| 8 | Cooley | 3-5 |
| 9 | ArentFox Schiff | 3-5 |
| 10 | Taft Stettinius & Hollister | 3-5 |
Time to partner in Education Law
21 lawyers were promoted to partner in Education Law in the 12 months to May 2026, 97 over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 11.0 years, with the middle half between 9.5 years and 15.5 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 60.8% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 79 promotions.
Related monitors and reports
Other specialities in Public Law & Government
Hiring in this market
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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