Law · Facts & sources
4 sourced facts about the legal profession and the U.S. justice system, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answerabout 1.32 million
There were 1,322,649 active lawyers in the U.S. as of January 1, 2024 — roughly 1 lawyer for every 250 Americans.
Source: American Bar Association (2024) americanbar.org
Answer41%
Women made up 41% of U.S. lawyers in 2024, up from 36% a decade earlier — a trend the ABA calls the 'decade of the female lawyer.'
Source: American Bar Association, Profile of the Legal Profession 2024 (via Wayback Machine archive of the same page) (2024) web.archive.org
Answer203
The American Bar Association has accredited 203 institutions and programs that confer the J.D. degree in the United States.
Source: American Bar Association (2024) americanbar.org
Answerabout $198,788
Law school for the Class of 2026 cost an average of $198,788 in total, and over 71% of graduates borrow money to pay for it.
Source: Education Data Initiative educationdata.org