Top 10 Fun Facts About Lawyers and the Practice of Law
If you are considering a career in the legal field, whether as an attorney, paralegal, intake specialist, or contract administrator, it makes sense to know what you’re getting into! The practice of law is generally quite serious, and may even involve matters of life and death, depending on the type of legal practice you go into. In addition to being intense, the profession is also interesting, important, and impactful. Below is a list of 10 interesting facts about lawyers and the practice of law in general.
1. No Shortage of Lawyers
There are more than 1.3 million lawyers practicing in jurisdictions across the United States. When you consider the population of America is more than 341 million, that means there is around one attorney per every 262 people in the U.S.
2. Six-Figure Salary Not Always the Case When Practicing Law
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median pay for an attorney practicing in the U.S. is around $146,000 annually. The hourly pay translated to about $70 per hour. However, the hourly rate varies widely based on jurisdiction, years of experience, and type of law.
The highest wages for lawyers are earned in California, New York, and Washington, D.C. In these jurisdictions, the average salary for an attorney is close to $190,000 per year. The lowest wages for attorneys are in Montana, where the average salary for an attorney is around $86,000 per year.
3. Most Lawyers Do Not Work at Big Law Firms
There is a misconception that attorneys work in giant, highly influential law firms. In reality, most lawyers work at mid-size and boutique firms or other areas of the law. According to the National Association of Law Placement, approximately 83 percent of all attorneys who work in private practice are employed by relatively small firms comprised of 50 or fewer attorneys.
4. Halls of Congress Occupied by Large Percentage of Attorneys
Historically, the halls of Congress have been occupied by attorneys. This includes both elected representatives and their aides. The prevalence of attorneys working in Congress is primarily due to the need to have a strong grasp of public policy and legislative language to draft new laws.
5. Many Lawyers Don’t Actually Practice Law
Practicing law can be quite challenging, and the reality is quite different from how the profession is portrayed on television and in movies. This may be why many lawyers leave the profession and spend their careers in other professions. For example, many lawyers can find fulfilling careers in banking, financial services, consulting, business development, education, and so forth.
6. Legal Profession: One of the First to Go Through a #Metoo Movement
The legal profession has historically not been welcoming to female attorneys. For example, the first female attorney in the United States was Arabella Mansfield. She had to file a lawsuit against the State Bar of Iowa to sit for the Bar Exam. Ms. Mansfield passed the bar exam and was admitted to practice law in the state of Iowa in 1869. Fast forward to the present, and another female is blazing a trail in the legal profession – Sophia Park, who recently passed the California bar as a 17 year old.
7. Lawyers Are Not Disliked, They Are Envied
There is a perception that most people generally dislike lawyers. For example, Forbes Magazine released data from Gallup indicating that an attorney is considered one of the least trustworthy professionals in America (only lobbyists and business executives had a lower trustworthiness rating). However, a deeper dive into the data reveals that many people do not actually dislike or distrust attorneys; they envy them. One study revealed that the reasons listed by people who dislike lawyers include:
- They think they are smarter than everyone else;
- They are intimidating and aggressive;
- They utilize a complicated language and
- They are really expensive!
As you can see, these responses do not reflect an actual dislike of the people who are in the legal profession. The dislike stems from the perception that attorneys consider themselves “superior” to others.
8. Fairness in Practicing Law Varies Widely Based on Jurisdiction
Survey data from the Institute for Legal Reform revealed that the five states ranked as the “most reasonable and fair” for litigators include New Hampshire, South Dakota, Minnesota, Vermont, and Idaho. The states viewed as being the least reasonable and fair include the following: Missouri, California, Florida, Illinois, and Louisiana. Interestingly, the survey data showed that the state deemed the “most fair” and “most reasonable” for litigators is the state containing the fewest number of practicing lawyers per capita – South Dakota, which has 22.2 lawyers per every 10,000 residents. Only South Carolina and Arizona have fewer attorneys per capita than the Mount Rushmore State.
9. D.C. Is Home to Most Attorneys
In stark contrast to South Dakota, the District of Columbia features the highest number of lawyers per capita. Specifically, Washington, D.C. has 788.1 lawyers per 10,000 residents. Yes, you read that number correctly – close to 800 lawyers per 10,000 D.C. residents.
10. Many Celebrities Went to Law School
A surprisingly high number of celebrities and prominent individuals attended law school. For example, action movie star Gerard Butler attended law school, along with TV host Jerry Springer, John Cleese (of Monty Python fame), Geraldo Rivera, and economist Ben Stein (of Ferris Bueller fame). Other notable law school graduates include former NBA Commissioner David Stern and former NFL star Steve Young.
