The legal profession is one that has been dogged by a negative public image for hundreds of years now. This is because people see them as individuals who defend criminals or as someone who charges their clients exorbitant legal fees—neither of which is true in the general sense.

Yet still, these myths persist. However, there is one holiday that hopes to dispel those public perceptions about lawyers, and this holiday is called Be Kind To Lawyers Day. It’s a day that’s observed annually on the second Tuesday in April and is a holiday that encourages everyone to be nice to the lawyers in their lives.

Facts About Lawyers

Are you seriously interested in some lawyer-based tidbits of trivia? If you are, then you’ve come to the right place. That’s because we’ve found some interesting lawyer facts that we think everyone will enjoy. So without further ado, let’s check out these facts below.

The Legal Services Industry Is A Half-Trillion-Dollar Business In The U.S.

In the U.S., the legal services market is over $450 billion dollars, as of 2021. Of that half-trillion dollars, the legal business sector accounts for approximately $160 billion.

Lawyers In The Medical Field Are The Highest Paid

Lawyers working in the medical field can make over $110 per hour with average annual earnings of over $151,000. And if the lawyer is working with a specialized hospital, then they can earn even more money.

Almost Half Of All Law Professionals Practice Privately

It’s been estimated that about 49% of all lawyers have their own private practice. On the other hand, only 16% of lawyers work for larger firms that employ more than 100 legal professionals.

Approximately 4% Of Certified Lawyers Are Retired Or Not Active

According to the latest research, about 4% of the lawyers that are registered or certified by the American Bar Association are either inactive or have actively retired.

There Are Over 1.4 Million Lawyers In The U.S.

In the U.S., there are about 1.4 million lawyers. This is about the same number of lawyers that can be found in India. However, India has over a billion more people than the United States. That means that in the U.S., there’s about 1 lawyer for every 234 people. In India, there’s one lawyer for every 976 people.

In The United Kingdom, There Are 143,000+ Solicitors

At the end of 2009, there were about 118,000 solicitors working in the United Kingdom. By 2015, that number had jumped to 140,000. As of 2018, there were 143,198 solicitors in the U.K. With a population of 66.65 million in the U.K as of 2019, that means that there is approximately 1 solicitor for every 465 people.

On Average, Lawyers Make $61 An Hour In The U.S.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2020, the average lawyer made about $61.03 per hour or about $126,930 per year.

Observing Be Kind To Lawyers Day

Celebrating this holiday is as easy as letting the lawyers in your life know how much you appreciate everything that they do on a daily basis. After all, without lawyers, our judicial system wouldn’t work, and we wouldn’t enjoy the protections and justice that it delivers on behalf of all of us.

While you’re thanking lawyers, be sure to use the hashtag #BeKindToLawyersDay on your social media accounts to thank lawyers outside of your immediate circle for their service.