Number of Lawyers in U.S. Grew 15% in Past Decade

May 14, 2018

The nationwide population of lawyers is up to 1,338,678 licensed, active attorneys, which represents a 0.2 percent increase since last year and a 15.2 percent rise over the past decade, according to data from the American Bar Association (ABA).

The 10-year trend shows modest year-to-year increases since 2008.

The report’s state-by-state listing shows that the top five areas with the largest number of active attorneys in residence are New York (177,035), California (170,044), Texas (90,485), Florida (78,244) and Illinois (63,422).

The top five areas with the fewest resident attorneys are North Dakota (1,694), Virgin Islands (776), Guam (270), North Mariana Islands (128) and American Samoa (59).

The American Bar Association National Lawyer Population Survey is based on data submitted by state bar associations or licensing agencies. The 2018 survey represents data as of December 31, 2017.

Topics Trends USA

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