The American Legal Profession

Abstract This chapter examines the role of lawyers and law firms in American society. It starts with a historical sketch of the legal profession and the more recent rise of big law firms. It then discusses what, exactly, most lawyers do on a day-to-day basis. Finally, it examines a number of features of the today’s legal profession, including what kinds of people become lawyers, the changing demographics of law school students and lawyers (including race and gender statistics), legal education, bar associations and the bar examination, and the role of lawyers in modern society in both the United States and abroad.