The US legal sector secured a quarterly record of 7.3 million square feet of leased office space during the second quarter of 2026, according to a data report from Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK). This surpassed the previous quarterly high by 23%.
During the first half of the year, legal leasing reached nearly 12.2 million square feet, a 17% year-over-year surge.
The new report found half of the 10 largest legal leases recorded over the past year were signed during the second quarter, while 15 of the 21 legal leases exceeding 75,000 square feet signed year to date were completed during the second quarter. The sector is on pace to record 24% more deals in this size category than in 2025.
Expansions accounted for 43% of legal leases signed during the first half of the year, the highest share since 2019, while downsizing represented just one-fifth of transactions, continuing its downward trend. The 10 major legal markets accounted for 69% of Q2 leasing activity, led by New York City, Chicago and the Washington, DC metro area. Those three markets accounted for nine of the 10 largest leases signed during the quarter.
Beyond the major legal hubs, nine additional markets recorded more than 100,000 square feet of legal leasing in the second quarter, led by Minneapolis with 274,000 square feet, Salt Lake City with 145,000 square feet, and Pittsburgh with 127,000 square feet.
David Smith, head of Americas Insights, Global Think Tank at Cushman & Wakefield, observed, “Law firms’ largely office-centric work models combined with continued expansion activity both point to sustained demand from firms evaluating how their real estate needs are evolving. Law firms remain among the clearest sources of office demand nationally. The largest legal markets continue to attract significant commitments, but activity is also extending across a broader range of US markets. That geographic breadth is an encouraging sign for the sector as we look toward the second half of the year.”
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