# Lawyers

US SOC code 23-1011. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/23-1011

Also called: Attorney, Associate attorney, Partner, Corporate counsel, In-house counsel.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **754,500** US lawyers, with median pay of **$159,670** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [a Census count](https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/occupations/1900-census-occupations-2.pdf) of **114,500** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for lawyers: Harvey AI + Allen & Overy firmwide GPT-4 deployment, 2022 to 2023.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 4.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=23-1011&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **47.5%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.035** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.035. BLS counted **592,670** of these jobs in May 2013 and **754,500** in May 2025 (+27%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Lawyers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1701
- Latest US employment: 754,500 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Latest US median pay: $159,670 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [16]
- Outlook: +4.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [48]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 41101)
  - Employment, 2020: 96,330. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [9]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 41101 Lawyers and Quebec notaries, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$128,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [21]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 41101 Lawyers and Quebec notaries, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.
- **United Kingdom** (UK SOC 2412)
  - Employment, 2025: 127,000. Source: ONS ASHE 2025 [13]. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Table 14): employee jobs in SOC 2412 Solicitors and lawyers, United Kingdom, 2025 (ASHE "number of jobs", thousands x1000; excludes self-employment). Open Government Licence v3.0.
  - Median pay, 2025: £53,314. Source: ONS ASHE 2025 [25]. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Table 14.7a): median gross annual pay for all employee jobs in SOC 2412 Solicitors and lawyers, United Kingdom, 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- **Australia** (ANZSCO 2713)
  - Employment, 2025: 102,900. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey March 2026 [14]. ABS Labour Force Survey (Detailed), table EQ08: employed persons in ANZSCO 2713 Solicitors, national (summed across sex and state/territory), annual average of 4 quarterly estimates.
  - Median pay, 2025: A$107,640. Source: ABS Employee Earnings May 2025 [26]. Annualised (x52) from A$2,070 median weekly earnings. ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025: median pay for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax. Surfaced via the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 2713.

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 114,500 | n/a | Decennial Census 1900 [1] |
| 1951 | 221,605 (estimate) | n/a | Est., American Bar Foundation [2] |
| 1970 | 326,400 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [3] |
| 1990 | 777,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ABA National Lawyer Population Survey [4] |
| 2000 | 489,530 | $88,280 | BLS OEWS 2000 [5] |
| 2003 | 516,220 | $91,490 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [6] |
| 2004 | 521,130 | $94,930 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [6] |
| 2005 | 529,190 | $98,930 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [6] |
| 2006 | 547,710 | $102,470 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [6] |
| 2007 | 555,770 | $106,120 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [6] |
| 2008 | 553,690 | $110,590 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [6] |
| 2009 | 556,790 | $113,240 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [6] |
| 2010 | 561,350 | $112,760 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [6] |
| 2011 | 570,950 | $113,310 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [6] |
| 2012 | 581,920 | $113,530 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [6] |
| 2013 | 592,670 | $114,300 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [6] |
| 2014 | 603,310 | $114,970 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [6] |
| 2015 | 609,930 | $115,820 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [6] |
| 2016 | 619,530 | $118,160 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [6] |
| 2017 | 628,370 | $119,250 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [6] |
| 2018 | 642,750 | $120,910 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [6] |
| 2019 | 657,170 | $122,960 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [6] |
| 2020 | 658,120 | $126,930 | BLS OEWS May 2020 (employment) [6]; BLS OEWS May 2020 (pay) [17] |
| 2021 | 681,010 | $127,990 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [6] |
| 2022 | 707,160 | $135,740 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [6] |
| 2023 | 731,340 | $145,760 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [6] |
| 2024 | 747,750 | $151,160 | BLS OEWS May 2024 (employment) [6]; BLS OEWS 2024 (pay) [18] |
| 2025 | 754,500 | $159,670 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [6] |

## Sources (129)

### Employment series

1. [US Census 1900 — Occupations at the Twelfth Census, Vol. 2 (General Report), Table 41 (Lawyers and Judges)](https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/occupations/1900-census-occupations-2.pdf), US Census Bureau
2. [American Bar Foundation — "The 1971 Lawyer Statistical Report" (references 1951 as first ABF baseline count of 221,605)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/market_research/lawyer-statistical-report-1971.pdf), American Bar Foundation
3. [Wikipedia — Lawyer (United States) — citing American Bar Foundation statistical reports](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawyer), Wikipedia / American Bar Foundation
4. [ABA National Lawyer Population Survey — historical series (1970-2023)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/market_research/total-national-lawyer-population-1878-2023.pdf), American Bar Association
5. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
9. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
10. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2411, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2002](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2002/2002-table-14.zip), [2006](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2006consistentw_007methodology/2006-table-14.zip), [2010](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2010revised/2010-revised-table-14.zip)
11. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2413, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2011](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2011revisedbasedonsoc2010/2011-revised-table-14.zip), [2015](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2015/table142015revised.zip), [2020](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2020revised/table142020revised.zip)
12. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2412, United Kingdom, 2022. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2022revised/ashetable142022revised.zip), Office for National Statistics
13. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2412, United Kingdom, 2025. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2025provisional/ashetable142025provisional.zip), Office for National Statistics
14. [ABS: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, table EQ08 (Employed persons by Occupation unit group, ANZSCO 2013), March 2026](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/latest-release), Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Wage series

15. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
16. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
17. [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes231011.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
18. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Lawyers (median annual wage 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
19. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
20. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
21. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
22. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2411, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2002](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2002/2002-table-14.zip), [2006](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2006consistentw_007methodology/2006-table-14.zip), [2010](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2010revised/2010-revised-table-14.zip)
23. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2413, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2011](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2011revisedbasedonsoc2010/2011-revised-table-14.zip), [2015](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2015/table142015revised.zip), [2020](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2020revised/table142020revised.zip)
24. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2412, United Kingdom, 2022. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2022revised/ashetable142022revised.zip), Office for National Statistics
25. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 2412, United Kingdom, 2025. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2025provisional/ashetable142025provisional.zip), Office for National Statistics
26. [Jobs and Skills Australia: Solicitors (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025)](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles/occupations/2713-solicitors), Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Tool eras

27. [Wikipedia — Law of the United States (Colonial and Lawyers sections)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_United_States), Wikipedia
28. [Wikipedia — Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England), Wikipedia
29. [Wikipedia — West Publishing (National Reporter System, 1879)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Publishing), Wikipedia
30. [Wikipedia — Typewriter (commercial adoption, law office use)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typewriter), Wikipedia
31. [Wikipedia — IBM Selectric typewriter (1961 introduction and law-office dominance)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Selectric_typewriter), Wikipedia
32. [Wikipedia — Xerox 914 (first plain-paper copier, 1959)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_914), Wikipedia
33. [Wikipedia — LexisNexis (history, 1973 LEXIS launch)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LexisNexis), Wikipedia
34. [Wikipedia — Westlaw (1975 launch, West Publishing)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westlaw), Wikipedia
35. [Wikipedia — WordPerfect (legal market adoption, dominance through early 1990s)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordPerfect), Wikipedia
36. [Wikipedia — CM/ECF (PACER, federal electronic filing system)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PACER_%28law%29), Wikipedia
37. [Wikipedia — DocuSign (founding 2003, e-signature adoption)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DocuSign), Wikipedia
38. [Wikipedia — Equivio (predictive coding pioneer, acquired by Microsoft 2015)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equivio), Wikipedia
39. [Da Silva Moore v. Publicis Groupe (S.D.N.Y. 2012) — first court approval of predictive coding](https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2011cv01279/375665/96/), Justia / US District Court S.D.N.Y.
40. [Legal IT Insider — "Allen & Overy breaks the internet with co-pilot Harvey" (Feb 16, 2023)](https://legaltechnology.com/allen-overy-breaks-the-internet-and-new-ground-with-co-pilot-harvey/), Legal IT Insider
41. [Wikipedia — Harvey (software)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_%28software%29), Wikipedia
42. [Wikipedia — Mata v. Avianca, Inc. (ChatGPT hallucination sanctions case)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_v._Avianca,_Inc.), Wikipedia
43. [Magesh et al. — "Hallucination-Free? Assessing the Reliability of Leading AI Legal Research Tools" (JELS 2025)](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jels.12413), Journal of Empirical Legal Studies / Wiley
44. [Thomson Reuters — CoCounsel reaches 1M users (February 2026)](https://legaltechnology.com/cocounsel-now-available-to-one-million-professionals-says-thomson-reuters/), Thomson Reuters / Legal IT Insider
45. [ABA — 2024 Artificial Intelligence TechReport (30% of firms use AI; 47.8% at 500+ lawyer firms)](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/resources/tech-report/2024/2024-artificial-intelligence-techreport/), American Bar Association
46. [Thomson Reuters — Future of Professionals 2025 (190 hrs/year AI savings per lawyer)](https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/technology/future-of-professionals-2025/), Thomson Reuters
47. [Law.com Legaltech News — AI-specialty lateral associate hires +106% YoY (March 2026)](https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2026/03/31/legal-professionals-arm-themselves-with-ai-expertise-across-practice-areas-/?slreturn=20260620123701), Law.com

### Forecasts and exposure studies

48. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 23-1011 Lawyers (2025: 863.7 thousand; 2035: 904.3 thousand; +4.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=23-1011&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
49. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 23-1011 Lawyers: probability 0.035, rank 115 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
50. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 23-1011.00, human-rated β 0.475)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

51. [Wikipedia — Legal education in the United States (history of bar admission)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_education_in_the_United_States), Wikipedia
52. [Wikipedia — Boston Massacre (John Adams as defense counsel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Massacre), Wikipedia
53. [Wikipedia — American Bar Association (founding, 1878)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bar_Association), Wikipedia
54. [Wikipedia — Gideon v. Wainwright (right to counsel, 1963)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_v._Wainwright), Wikipedia
55. [Wikipedia — Bates v. State Bar of Arizona (attorney advertising, 1977)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bates_v._State_Bar_of_Arizona), Wikipedia
56. [Justia — Da Silva Moore v. Publicis Groupe et al, No. 1:2011cv01279 (S.D.N.Y. 2012)](https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2011cv01279/375665/96/), Justia / US District Court S.D.N.Y.
57. [Wikipedia — Mata v. Avianca, Inc.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_v._Avianca,_Inc.), Wikipedia
58. [American Bar Association — Formal Opinion 512 (Generative AI, July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_1_competence/), American Bar Association

### Predecessors & successors

59. [Wikipedia — History of legal education in the United States (reading law vs. law school)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_education_in_the_United_States), Wikipedia
60. [Wikipedia — New Deal legal profession (lawyers trained in federal agencies entering private bar)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Lawyers (23-1011.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/23-1011.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Goldman Sachs (2023) — Generative AI could automate 44% of legal tasks](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/28/ai-automation-could-impact-300-million-jobs-heres-which-ones.html), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Harvey AI — $11B valuation, 100k+ users, 80 of Am Law 100 (Mar 2026)](https://theplanettools.ai/blog/harvey-ai-11-billion-valuation-200m-raise-vertical-ai), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Harvey AI + CoCounsel — 10 million documents processed Q1 2026](https://callsphere.ai/blog/ai-agents-legal-harvey-ai-cocounsel-10-million-documents), accessed 2026-05-23
- [A&O Shearman — Harvey partnership, ContractMatrix, 2-3 hrs/week saved (Apr 2025)](https://legaltechnology.com/ao-shearman-partners-with-harvey-to-launch-practice-based-workflow-tools/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Harvey AI — M&A practice: up to 75% time savings on unstructured data rooms](https://www.harvey.ai/blog/harvey-in-practice-how-m-and-a-teams-use-harvey), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Thomson Reuters — CoCounsel reaches 1M users (Feb 2026)](https://legaltechnology.com/cocounsel-now-available-to-one-million-professionals-says-thomson-reuters/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Thomson Reuters — Future of Professionals 2025 (190 hrs/year AI savings per lawyer)](https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/technology/future-of-professionals-2025/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Magesh et al., Journal of Empirical Legal Studies (2025) — Hallucination-Free? Assessing the Reliability of Leading AI Legal Research Tools](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jels.12413), accessed 2026-05-23
- [ABA — 2024 Artificial Intelligence TechReport (30% of firms use AI; 47.8% at 500+ lawyer firms)](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/resources/tech-report/2024/2024-artificial-intelligence-techreport/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Seyfarth Shaw + Hebbia — strategic partnership for diligence and deal execution (Mar 2026)](https://www.seyfarth.com/news-insights/seyfarth-leads-next-phase-of-deal-execution-and-diligence-through-ai-partnership-with-hebbia.html), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Law.com Legaltech News — AI-specialty lateral associate hires +106% YoY (Mar 2026)](https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2026/03/31/legal-professionals-arm-themselves-with-ai-expertise-across-practice-areas-/?slreturn=20260620123701), accessed 2026-05-23
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Lawyers (median wage $151,160; 4% growth 2024-2034)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [EvenUp — AI Drafts Suite launch, 1,500+ PI firms, $7B+ in claims generated (May 2025)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250514536151/en/EvenUp-Launches-AI-Drafts-Suite-Smart-Workflows-Medical-Bill-Summary-and-Case-Based-Pricing-to-Redefine-Legal-Automation-for-Personal-Injury-Firms), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Luminance — Legal-Grade AI platform, 1,000+ organizations, Jan 2026 institutional memory upgrade](https://www.luminance.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Robert Half — 2026 Legal Job Market: In-Demand Roles and Hiring Trends](https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/research/data-reveals-which-legal-roles-are-in-highest-demand), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Thomson Reuters — CoCounsel Legal with Deep Research (Aug 2025)](https://www.lawnext.com/2025/08/thomson-reuters-launches-cocounsel-legal-with-agentic-ai-and-deep-research-capabilities-along-with-a-new-and-final-version-of-westlaw.html), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Relativity — aiR for Review general availability (Q3 2024)](https://www.artificiallawyer.com/2024/06/26/relativitys-new-genai-ediscovery-tool-air-for-review-rolls-out-q3/), accessed 2026-05-23

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.