Lawyers play an essential role in upholding and providing guidance regarding legal regulations for both individuals and businesses alike. Lawyers interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for clients while representing or prosecuting clients during criminal and civil litigation proceedings.
Though their work is essential, many lawyers remain dissatisfied with their jobs as lawyers. This article explores how many lawyer jobs there are as well as why this profession presents unique challenges.
1. There are 1.33 million lawyers in the U.S.
Lawyers provide individuals and businesses alike with advice regarding legal proceedings or transactions, from employment law, criminal law and family law matters all the way through to international trade law issues. Lawyers are highly sought after professionals with solid career prospects.
Lawyer jobs can be found throughout the nation, but New York City and California boast the greatest concentration of legal services providers due to their large populations that need their services.
Florida is currently seeing the greatest increase in lawyer population growth over the last decade; 17% has seen lawyers double in numbers over that timeframe. Montana and Nebraska also saw increases of 16% each. Meanwhile, Alabama (-15%), Massachusetts (9%) and Rhode Island (10%) experienced decreases. Such fluctuations can have serious ramifications on job opportunities for law school graduates.
2. The demand for lawyers is high in Washington, D.C. and New York City
High demand for lawyers means there is plenty of work available, yet this does not translate to every lawyer making good money; many are struggling just to survive, while some even live in poverty.
Washington, D.C. and New York City are two cities where demand for lawyers is particularly strong, making these popular destinations for law graduates looking for legal practice opportunities. But Tallahassee, Florida; Trenton, New Jersey; Santa Fe, New Mexico and Charleston West Virginia also experience high demands for attorneys.
New York is a highly competitive legal market. Home to numerous large firms that set the standards for associate compensation across the nation, New York draws both government attorneys who tend to receive higher pay than private firm attorneys as well as those attracted by its tightknit legal community, vibrant culture scene and proximity to Uncle Sam – these features attract young attorneys.
3. The demand for lawyers is high in Tallahassee and Miami
According to a new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tallahassee and Miami rank high for lawyers seeking employment opportunities in Florida. This ranking uses something called a location quotient as an indicator of demand relative to national average.
Tallahassee and Miami came in second and third for demand of attorneys, behind Washington, D.C. but ahead of New York City. Additionally, Trenton New Jersey; Santa Fe New Mexico and Charleston West Virginia are among the other cities with high demands for legal services.
Florida stands out as an outlier among states in terms of high demand for lawyers despite decades-long trends showing slower attorney population growth nationwide. Yet Florida has an opportunity to further increase its lawyer population by emphasizing minority and female recruitment efforts.
4. The demand for lawyers is high in the U.S.
As either a law student pursuing their dreams of law, or an attorney considering transitioning firms, it’s essential that you stay abreast of lawyer statistics. Understanding demand and population trends within individual states will allow you to make more informed decisions regarding your future in law.
New York boasts the highest concentration of lawyers per 1,000 residents with 187,656 attorneys or nearly 10 per 1,000 residents, followed by California with 175,883 or four per 1000 residents.
Employment in legal occupations is projected to expand about as rapidly as expected across all occupational categories in the next decade, although certain subspecializations of law such as technology law, healthcare law and international law may experience higher demand than others. There is also an increasing need for attorneys with expertise in handling corporate transactions and complex financial matters.
