A lawyer or attorney is a legal professional that practices law, barrister, solicitor, or advocate, using the practical application of the law to solve problems or represent plaintiffs and defendants in or out of court. The term lawyer can mean different things in different countries, but all lawyers require extensive schooling and training to represent and fight for legal issues and rights. Historians believe that lawyers have existed since Ancient Greece, when they provided services similar to those they offer today. The role of the lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. Lawyers can specialize in various disciplines of law including family law, real estate law, business law, criminal law, civil law, estate law, and labor law to name a few.
The US legal business sector has an estimated $160 billion market share.
In the Middle Ages there were lawyers in the courts. The courts were established by kings such as Henry the 8th who used the courts to decide who had committed treason against him.
The highest-paying niche in the legal sector belongs to medical lawyers.
In the United States a person must attend four years of college or university to earn their bachelor’s degree, then law school for three years, then pass the bar exam. This process differs in different countries as far as education and required training.
Only 14.4% of all US lawyers are certified members of ABA.
In 2011 there were 1,245,205 licensed lawyers in the United States, with almost half practicing in a private practice.
Some high-profile attorneys can earn as much as $2,400 hourly ($5 million annually).
The average lawyer in the United States earns between $100,000 and $200,000 a year but this amount changes based on the number of years of practice, the setting, whether one works in private practice, corporate, or government, and the type of law being practiced.
There are more than 1.35 million lawyers in the US.
In the United States a lawyer must obtain a license in the state they wish to practice.
There are only 300,000 lawyers, or 1 lawyer for every 4,620 inhabitants, in China.
Because laws change, lawyers must stay current on laws. This can involve taking classes to remain current.
Male lawyers are twice as likely to commit suicide than their non-lawyer counterparts.
During the course of their job lawyers must be able to interview, write arguments, research, prepare legal documents, and appear in court to work on behalf of their clients.
The District of Columbia pays an annual average wage of $189,560; the highest in the US.
Lawyers sometimes work to ‘settle out of court’ for clients which means they never have to appear in court to come to an agreeable conclusion to the legal matter at hand.
Only 4.8% of US lawyers are African-American.
In order to be a successful lawyer a person should be intelligent, dedicated, and have good people skills.
The average annual wage of US lawyers is $139,880.
Being a good speaker is helpful as well, especially for lawyers who wish to work as advocates.
In 2009, the United Kingdom used to have about 118,000 solicitors or solicitor 1 for every 527 inhabitants.
Criminal layers, whether defense or prosecutor, have been made very popular because of television shows that portray their careers as exciting and fast-paced.
The current number of lawyers in the US equals to 1 lawyer for every 246 Americans.
Being a lawyer can be a very stressful job. The hours one must work are often longer than most other professions, and the responsibility the job carries can be overwhelming sometimes.
4% of the American Bar Association attorneys are either retired or inactive.
Those that study law and become lawyers can also do a variety of other careers including teaching law in universities and colleges, writing, working in risk management, or becoming a lobbyist.
49% of law practitioners all over the world practice privately.
Some lawyers are referred to as ‘ambulance chasers’ because their work involves filing lawsuits for people injured in accidents.
Lawyers in Montana receive just above $35 per hour on average.
In some courts lawyers are still required to wear the formal gowns and white wigs.
