The legal profession has continued to receive a substantial share of media coverage and publicity over the last several years, much of it directed at the increase in numbers of…
Abstract
The legal profession has continued to receive a substantial share of media coverage and publicity over the last several years, much of it directed at the increase in numbers of law graduates and the often highly publicised starting salaries of recent law graduates at prestigious New York City law firms. Recent estimates indicate that there are now in excess of 650,000 attorneys working in the United States. The New York Bar Journal reported in its April, 1987 issue at page 56 that 36,829 law students graduated from American Bar Association accredited law schools in 1985. The report was based upon a study by the National Association for Law Placement. The study confirmed that the great majority of law graduates, 60.2% in 1985, would join private firms (at an average starting salary of $29,224).