As of 2009, there are 200 law schools recognized by the ABA, with other law schools recognized only by state authorities. Tuition for these schools vary depending on whether the student is a resident, non-resident, or attending a private school. Resident students attending a public law school pay an average of $16,836, while non-residents pay $28,442 and private law school students pay $34,298. Total living and book expenses surpass $12,000 a year.

-Around the nation, the student-to-faculty ratio in law schools of all sizes are slowly dropping. In the 2008-2009 academic year, the average student-to-faculty ratio was about 13-15.

-A typical law student has a 4 year undergraduate degree followed by 3 years of law school; acceptance into an ABA-accredited law school requires the passing of the LSAT (Law School Acceptance Test). The average LSAT test taker scores between 145-160, with 120 being the lowest and 180 being the highest. Top law schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Columbia average an LSAT score of about 173.

- A law student typically spends the first year in law school studying constitutional law, property law, torts, legal writing, and other core courses. Eventually, the students choose specialized courses. Some specialized fields include tax, labor, and corporate law.

- Law students have the opportunity to gain experience through mock court competitions and involvement through either research or writing for the school’s law journals. In some law schools, lawyers and law school faculty may hold clinical programs to help students gain valuable experience. In these programs, law students may work or intern in legal offices. Learning in this way gives law students the ability to choose their specialization.

-Total enrollment numbers continue to grow and reached 142,922 (152,033 including post-JD students) in 2009, the highest in history. Male student enrollment was at 75,954 (53%) while females enrollment totaled 66,968 (47%).

-Total attrition in the 2008-2009 academic year reached 6,460 (76% of these being first year students). Total male attrition was 3,538 while total female attrition reached 2,922.

- Minorities accounted for 11,320 out of 49,414 of first year J.D. enrollment, or 22.9%. Total minority J.D. enrollment was 31,368 out of 142,922, or 21.9%. Out of the 43,588 of total J.D. awarded, 9,631 (or 22%) were rewarded to minorities.

- In the 2008-2009 academic year, total enrollment of Asian or Pacific Islanders was 11,244, American Indian enrollment was at 1,198, African American enrollment at 9,822, while total Hispanic enrollment reached 6,208.

- Every year, internal grants and scholarships for law students increase. Since 1991, they have grown 470.4% from an annual total dollar amount of $132,668,235 to $790,975,793 per year. Students borrowed an average of $71,436 in public law schools and $91,506 in private law schools in the 2007-2008 academic year.

- Strong skills for a law student include logical thinking, writing, speaking, and analytical skills. While there is no actual pre-law undergraduate degree, degrees in english, philosophy, and public speaking are among many useful areas of study.

- To be licensed, lawyers must graduate from an ABA-accepted law school and be accepted into the ABA (American Bar Association). In order to be accepted into the ABA, 48 states require the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) which takes 6-hours. Some states also require the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), a three hour test. Some states also require the Multistate Performance Test and/or the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)

- 43 states require lawyers to continue their education after graduation, an effort to keep lawyers updated on recent issues. In addition to continuing education courses, there are seminars available on the Internet that offer the same continuing education credit.

- After graduation, most lawyers begin their career with salaried positions as associates in a law firm. Further career paths include becoming a partner in the firm, solo practice, or teaching.

- Most lawyers work in private practice, focusing on either criminal or civil law. Criminal law entails defending individuals who have been charged with a crime. Civil law attorneys focus on issues such as mortgages, wills, titles, and leases. Some lawyers may be employed as the “house counsel” for a single client, most likely a corporation. Corporate lawyers may focus on business issues such as patents, contracts, or government regulations.

- Around 27% of lawyers are self employed, either as partners in a firm or in solo practice. Self employed lawyers often choose to work in smaller, less-populated areas. Larger cities will have increased competition from more established law firms.

- Many lawyers work in specialized fields such as environmental, probate, or family law. Lawyers who specialize in trial work must be well-spoken and possess good research skills.

- 37% of lawyers work 50% hours per week. For private practice lawyers, these hours are often erratic, as lawyers have a cocktail of responsibilities that range from researching a case, preparing briefs, and meeting clients. Salaried lawyers usually have a structured work day.

- In 2006, 761,000 Americans held jobs as a lawyer. The majority of these lawyers worked either in government, in law firms, for a corporation, or for non-profit. In regards to government jobs, most lawyers work for their local government, while those working for the Federal government focused on the Departments of Justice, Treasury, and Defense.

- Recently, a number of law school graduates have been settling for staffing firms that help place the graduate in a temporary position. To better help their chances of finding a job, being geographically mobile has become increasingly important. If a lawyer is to relocate, he or she will likely be required to pass another State bar examination.

- Growth of lawyer employment is expected to grow 11% from 2006-2016. The expanding population and increasing amount of business deals will create more legal transactions and therefore, more jobs; though the increasing usage of accounting firms and paralegals will suppress the demand for lawyers.

- Lawyers remain one of the highest paid professionals in the US. In 2006, the median annual earning for all lawyers was $102,470. Salaries for lawyers vary greatly depending on where, for whom, and how large the employer. Working for corporations yielded the greatest annual earnings, with local and state government jobs paying the least. Most lawyers under salary receive health insurance and retirement plans. Private practice lawyers earned less than those working in firms and for corporations.

- Lawyers collect fees in a few different ways. Fixed fees are usually associated with a particular task such as the preparation of a will. Hourly rates are more common and may include work done by the lawyer outside of the presence of the client. Retainer fees rely on a clients’ retainer agreement to determine the duties and pay of the lawyer. A lawyer charging a contingent fee only receives money if his or her client wins compensation from a civil lawsuit. This fee is in conjunction with other expenses incurred through the court, litigation, or witnesses.