E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E
J o h n F . K y n e s – H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y B a r A s s o c i a t i o n
2023americanBarassociation ProfilereportSpotlightsadvancesand challengesfacingLegalProfession
overthepastdecade , florida ’ slawyerpopulationwasthefastest growinginthenation , withthenumberofactivelawyersincreasing24 %, followedbynorthcarolinaat20 %, andtexasandgeorgiabothat17 %.
The American Bar Association released its fifth annual Profileof theLegalProfession on Nov . 30 , and it offers some interesting findings on the state of the legal profession in the United States . The comprehensive 140-page report details key statistics about lawyers , judges , and law students , covering issues such as demographics , employment , law school trends , diversity , and legal aid .
“ The 2023 Profile marks both the significant strides and challenges in diversity and the path forward for the legal community ,” ABA President Mary Smith said in a statement .
In the report ’ s introduction , Smith highlighted the dearth of legal aid attorneys in the U . S .
Citing statistics from the Legal Services Corp ., Smith said 92 % of low-income Americans face civil legal issues without adequate legal counsel .
Nationwide , there are about three legal aid attorneys per 10,000 residents living in poverty .
“ The truth is this : For many low-income Americans , it ’ s hard to find a paid legal aid lawyer to handle a civil litigation problem — a child custody case , an eviction or trouble getting veterans benefits ,” the report stated .
Smith also wrote that while the number of diverse lawyers has nearly doubled from 11 % to 21 % over the past decade , the legal profession still lags in mirroring the nation ’ s demographics , where 41 % of the population is non-white .
continuedonpage11 neeDcLecreDitS ?
You can now order a selection of more than 60 previous CLEs in mp3 downloadable format from HCBA !
Downloadthefileandlistenatyourconvenienceinthecomfort ofyourofficeorhome . cLesoncDalsoarestillavailablefororderifyoupreferthatformat .
For more inormation , visit www . hillsbar . com .
1 0 J a n - F e b 2 0 2 4 | H C b a L a W Y e R