American Lawyers in the 1980s: A Profession in Transition

Abstract

The size of the lawyer population in the United States has increased dramatically in the last fifteen years. The rate of growth has substantially exceeded that of the general adult population. With the entry of a large number of young adults into the profession, an increasing proportion of whom are women, the age distribution of the profession has shifted downward and the representation of women among young lawyers has rapidly risen. The absolute number of lawyers working in each employment sector has increased significantly. Although the majority of lawyers continue to engage in the private practice of law, the proportion working in firm settings has grown as the proportion in solo practice has declined. Employment patterns of men and women continue to differ, with both younger and older women less likely to engage in private practice than men and more likely to be engaged in salaried employment. Moreover, even among private practitioners, differences persist as women continue to gravitate to solo practice or employment in large firms and remain under-represented in intermediate-sized firm practice.