U.S. lawyer population up significantly for the first time since 2020, ABA report finds

December 08, 2025

U.S. lawyer population up significantly for the first time since 2020, ABA report finds

CHICAGO, Dec. 8, 2025 - The number of lawyers in the United States increased significantly this year for the first time since 2020, rising from 1.35 million in 2024 to 1.37 million this year, according to the American Bar Association 2025 Profile of the Legal Profession. The profile is based on findings from the National Lawyer Population Survey (NLPS) published by the association's Center for Bar Leadership.

The total number, 1,374,720 in 2025 compared to 1,355,963 last year - a 1.38% increase - is reflected in the law graduate pipeline. When they entered law school, the 2024 graduating class was nearly 12% larger than any other class since 2012, according to the National Association for Law Placement which also recorded the highest overall employment rate for graduates as well as the highest employment rate in bar admission required jobs.

"This year's NLPS data suggest that the labor market was able to absorb 2024's large graduating class," said Rachel Ellett, associate director, research and evaluation, for the Center for Bar Leadership.

In total, the number of resident active lawyers in the U.S. has grown by 73,363 over the last 10 years, an increase of 5.6%, according to the survey.

The ABA has collected data on the number of lawyers in the United States since 1878. Over the last 147 years, overall growth has been consistently positive, with short bursts of rapid expansion. For example, the lawyer population surged in the late 1940s after World War II, in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the economy transitioned from industrial manufacturing to a services-based economy, and in the early 1990s.

This year's NLPS demographic data reveal a 1-percentage point increase in the ratio of female (41%) to male (58%) lawyers since 2024. And while there was a small uptick in African American, Asian and Hispanic lawyers, there was a small decline in Native American and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander lawyers. The number of states reporting race/ethnicity data has stagnated in the last three years.

Other survey findings at the state and regional level include:

• Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico and Utah all recorded over 5% growth in resident active lawyer population in the last year.
• States with the highest number of active lawyers in 2025 were New York (190,015); California (181,048); Texas (99,867); Florida (80,976); District of Columbia (65,824); Illinois (61,945); Pennsylvania (47,764); Massachusetts (42,653); New Jersey (39,670); and Ohio (37,086).
• Over the last 10 years, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Idaho, North Carolina, Texas and the Virgin Islands all saw growth of more than 15% in their resident active lawyer populations, likely driven by growing demand for legal services in metro areas.
• States with the highest percentage lawyer population growth since 2024 were Oklahoma, Arkansas, Delaware, Utah and Massachusetts.
• States that experienced the biggest percentage decline in lawyer population over the last year were Montana, Vermont, Wyoming and West Virginia.
• Based on census regions, the Midwest has remained stable, with a small 1.4% decrease over 10 years. The Northeast region experienced a minimal increase of around 3%, while the South saw an 11% increase in lawyer population, and the West saw 7% growth.
• As of 2025, 61% of resident active lawyers in the West are in California, in the South 21% are in Texas, and 17% are in Florida.

To view the 2025 National Lawyer Population Survey, click here.

For more information, contact Shanda T. Ivory @ [email protected].