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Douglas R. Sparks

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5335 Wisconsin Ave NW #440
Washington, D.C. 20015

Personal injury attorney Douglas Sparks has been representing clients in the District of Columbia metropolitan area for forty years. In 1979 at age twenty-four, he was the youngest member of his class to graduate from law school, pass the bar exam, and be sworn in to practice law. During the 1980s, Mr. Sparks appeared in court thousands of times and defended criminal cases against some of the United States Attorney’s best prosecutors. He tried dozens of high stakes jury trials involving charges such as first degree murder, manslaughter, vehicular homicide, armed robbery, drug distribution, and conspiracy.

Washington, D.C. injury lawyer Douglas Sparks expanded his practice into personal injury and wrongful death litigation in the late 1980s, and by 1990 was focusing primarily on major personal injury matters. Today, Mr. Sparks is widely considered one of the District of Columbia’s premier personal injury lawyers, having won many newsworthy cases and recovering tens of millions of dollars for his clients.

Reporters and journalists have often covered Mr. Sparks and his cases. In one groundbreaking lawsuit filed against the D.C. police department, he successfully employed an untested legal theory on behalf a domestic violence murder victim’s small children. Channel 9 featured the case in its lead news segment, reporting that Mr. Sparks “used a legal strategy never tried here before . . . and won a first of its kind  settlement .”

In another case that spurred the D.C. government to implement sweeping reforms and the D.C. City Council to enact remedial legislation, Mr. Sparks sued the city on behalf of a mother over the murder of her son at the jail. A veteran reporter reflecting on the city’s most important civil rights victories in a Martin Luther King Day article wrote that the lawsuit “was rightfully lauded for a  historic settlement  over the death of a D.C. Jail inmate.”

You can read about Washington, D.C. injury attorney Douglas Sparks’ cases in the news here , and you can read reviews from Mr. Sparks' clients and colleagues here .

Education
  • J.D. The Columbus School of  Law at Catholic University 1979
  • Notre Dame London Centre for Legal Studies 1978
  • B.A. St. Francis University 1976
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
  • District of Columbia
  • United States District Court (Maryland)
  • United States District Court (District of Columbia)
Professional Activities & Memberships
  • Board of Governors, District of Columbia Metropolitan Area Trial Lawyers Association ; Past Chair: Membership Committee; Member: Lawyers’ Education and Foundation Outreach Committees
  • Board of Directors, District of Columbia Prisoners’ Legal Services Project (merged with Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs); Past Chair: Legal Affairs Committee
  • District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association; Member : Legislative Committee
Awards & Honors
  • Top 5% Personal Injury Attorneys — Super Lawyers (2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
  • Top 100 Trial Lawyers — The National Trial Lawyers (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
  • Superb Rated Attorney — Avvo (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
  • “10 Best” Client Satisfaction Award — American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys (2014, 2015, 2016)
  • Clients' Choice Award — Avvo (2012)
  • Best of D.C. — Washington City Paper (2008)
Seminars & Presentations
  • Speaker: Litigating Against Local Governments (sponsored by the D.C. Trial Lawyers Association)
  • Speaker: Advanced Deposition Techniques (sponsored by the D.C. Trial Lawyers Association)
  • Speaker: Suing the Government (sponsored by the D.C. Trial Lawyers Association)
  • Speaker: 100 Tips for Winning Auto and Premises Liability Cases from Top Practitioners (sponsored by the D.C. Trial Lawyers Association and the D.C. Bar Torts and Litigation Sections)
  • Presenter: Community Service Award — Hope House DC (awarded by the D.C. Trial Lawyers Association)
  • Presenter: Public Service Award  Colbert King, Pulitzer Prize Winner (awarded by the D.C. Prisoners Legal Services Project)
  • Presenter: Public Service Award Kathy Patterson, D.C. City Council (awarded by the D.C. Prisoners Legal Services Project)
Pro Bono & Community Service
  • Election Protection Attorney — Presidential Elections in battleground states of Pennsylvania and Virginia (2004, 2008, 2012)
  • Presidential Inaugural Committee (2013)
  • Hope House DC — Sponsor
  • Domestic Violence Pro Bono Attorney
  • AAJ Moot Court Judge
Client Reviews
★★★★★
"Mr. Sparks is by far the best lawyer I have ever met. Lawyers are easy to find, but finding one who is smart, honest, thorough, and truly cares about people is very difficult. Every member of my family has trusted him for over twenty years, and he has never let us down. Mr. Sparks is REAL and passionate about helping others." Sanaz
★★★★★
"Doug made me feel confident and welcome after my first lawyer gave up on my auto accident case. I was impressed by his intelligence, fast thinking, and attention to detail." Auto Accident Client
★★★★★
"A truly rare attorney who is out solely for YOUR best interest. In the courtroom, Doug dominated. He is extremely skilled, and an expert in what he does." Criminal Defense Client