LAWYER DEMOGRAPHICS
NUMBER OF LICENSED LAWYERS - 2011
PRACTICE SETTING
1,245,205
% of lawyers in…
Private Practice
Government
Private Industry
Retired/Inactive
Judiciary
Education
Legal Aid/Public Defender
Private Association
Source: ABA Market Research Department, 4/2012
GENDER
Male
Female
1980
92%
8%
1991
80%
20%
2000
73%
27%
Sources: The Lawyer Statistical Report, American Bar Foundation,
1985, 1994, 2004 editions
1980
68%
9%
10%
5%
4%
1%
2%
1%
1991
73%
8%
9%
5%
3%
1%
1%
1%
2000
74%
8%
8%
5%
3%
1%
1%
1%
Sources: The Lawyer Statistical Report, American Bar Foundation,
1985,1994, 2004 editions
AGE
1980
15%
21%
15%
9%
16%
12%
13%
39
29 yrs. or less
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Median age
1991
10%
16%
18%
18%
18%
10%
10%
41
PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS
2000
7%
12%
14%
15%
28%
13%
12%
45
% of private practitioners…
Solo
2 – 5 lawyers
6 – 10 lawyers
11-20 lawyers
21 – 50 lawyers
51 – 100 lawyers
101 + lawyers
Sources: The Lawyer Statistical Report, American Bar Foundation,
1985, 1994, 2004 editions
1980
49%
22%
9%
7%
6%
7%
*
1991
45%
15%
7%
7%
8%
5%
13%
2000
48%
15%
7%
6%
6%
4%
14%
Sources: The Lawyer Statistical Report, American Bar Foundation,
1985, 1994, 2004 editions
* Largest firm size for 1980 data was 51+ lawyers.
RACE / ETHNICITY
White, not Hispanic
Black, not Hispanic
Hispanic
Asian Pacific American, not Hispanic
American Indian, not Hispanic
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander,
not Hispanic
2000*
88.8%
4.2%
3.4%
2.2%
0.2%
2010*
88.1%
4.8%
3.7%
3.4%
-
.04%
-
*Source: 2000, 2010 U.S. Census, Bureau of the Census
NOTE: U.S. Census considers Hispanic an ethnicity, not a race. Persons
of Hispanic origin can be of any race.
LAW STUDENTS
Academic Year
Total JD enrollment
Gender
Male
Female
Minority enrollment
2007-2008
141,719
2008-2009
142,922
2009-2010
145,239
53%
47%
21.6%
53%
47%
21.9%
53%
47%
22.4%
LAW FIRM SIZE
% of law firms with…
2 – 5 lawyers
6 – 10 lawyers
11-20 lawyers
21 – 50 lawyers
51 – 100 lawyers
101 + lawyers
Total # firms
1980
81%
12%
4%
2%
1%
*
38,482
1991
75%
13%
7%
3%
1%
1%
42,513
2000
76%
13%
6%
3%
1%
1%
47,563
Sources: The Lawyer Statistical Report, American Bar Foundation,
1985, 1994, 2004 editions
* Largest firm size for 1980 data was 51+ lawyers.
Source: ABA Section of Legal Education & Admissions to the Bar
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/stati
stics.html
Note: Numbers may not add to 100 due to rounding. Compiled by the ABA Market Research Department.
©
2012 American Bar Association
7