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There are over 1 million practicing attorneys in the US, with Caucasians making up the majority. Minority lawyers are underrepresented, with blacks at 4%, Hispanics at 3%, and Asians at 2%. Most lawyers work in the private sector, with the largest number working in their own offices. California and New York have the highest number of lawyers, and the District of Columbia has the highest concentration.
According to the American Bar Association there are currently 1,116,967 attorneys practicing in the United States. This is about one in every 300 people, or about 0.36% of the total population. These statistics are for those who currently exercise and maintain their licenses only. There are many more with inactive or retired status.
Demographic statistics give us a picture of the typical lawyer as Caucasian and male. About 75% are male and only 25% female. By far, Caucasians make up the majority of lawyers in the United States. They currently make up just under 90% of all lawyers. However, these statistics are constantly changing. In 1996, for example, Caucasians accounted for 96%, suggesting that those from minorities are on the rise.
However, minority lawyers are still underrepresented. Blacks make up 4%. Hispanics are 3%. Asians are the least represented at 2% of the total number.
Demographic information also informs us that around 75% work in the private sector. The largest number of lawyers work in their own offices, around 48% without a partner. Others are more likely to work in a small firm of two to five members or a very large firm of over 100 members. About 28% work in a small or very large company.
However, firms employing over 100 attorneys represent only 1% of the type of law firms in the United States. Most firms, about 78%, have two to five attorneys. Few work for the government or as public defenders: about 8% are employed by the government and less than 1% work as public defenders. About 3% work as judges.
California and New York each have over 100,000 lawyers representing the two states with the highest number of hired lawyers. Illinois has the third largest number of employed attorneys, at over 60,000. The District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Florida and Pennsylvania currently have over 40,000 in each area.
The District of Columbia has by far the highest concentration of people in this profession, but that’s to be expected since it’s the capital of the United States. New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston all have large numbers per city.
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