Attorney Workforce

The American Bar Association publishes an annual Profile of the Legal Profession report, which includes a compilation of nationwide statistics and trends in the attorney workforce.

Demographics

According to the 2023 report, as of January 1, 2023, there were more than 1.3 million active lawyers in the United States. In the past 10 years, there has been an increase of more than 63,000 attorneys, or approximately 5.0 percent, nationwide. While there was an increase over the past decade, 22 states have reported a reduction in attorneys. The three states with the highest percentage drop are Alabama (-15.0 percent), Alaska (-7.0 percent), and West Virginia (-5.0 percent).

The report notes there are 3.9 attorneys per thousand persons nationwide. New York has the most, at 9.6 lawyers per thousand, and South Carolina has the fewest, with 2.1 attorneys per thousand. Kansas is ranked 33 out of 50 states, with 2.7 attorneys per thousand persons.

The table below shows how Kansas compares with other regional states:

State	2023 Attorney Population	2023 Overall Population	Attorneys per 1,000
KS	7,858	2,937,150	2.7
CO	22,802	5,839,926	3.9
MO	24,613	6,177,957	4
NE	5,689	1,967,923	2.9
OK	13,415	4,019,800	3.3

The following table compares the attorney population of Kansas with other regional states over the past 10 years:

State	2013	2023	% Change
KS	8,199	7,858	-4.2
CO	21,094	22,802	8.1
MO	24,423	24,613	0.8
NE	5,028	5,689	13.1
OK	11,970	13,415	12.1

Bar Passage Rates

The following table compares 2022 bar passage rates for first-time test takers in Kansas and surrounding states:

State	Take	Pass	% Passing
KS	163	131	80.4
CO	766	561	73.2
MO	660	512	77.6
NE	209	169	80.9
OK	388	265	68.3
All Jurisdictions	44,771	32,088	71.7

Note: In Kansas, the 2022 bar passage rate for individuals retaking the exam was 39.0 percent.

Kansas Rural Justice Initiative Committee

On December 1, 2022, Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert signed Administrative Order 2022-CM-081 creating the Kansas Rural Justice Initiative Committee (Committee). The Committee’s charge is to study general population trends, as well as trends relating to attorneys and other legal professionals who support court and court-adjacent programs. The Committee is also charged with examining the differences in unmet legal needs relating to population density.

The Committee has specifically been tasked with studying and collecting data on the following topics:

• Information and data about unmet legal needs across rural Kansas;
• Statistical trends relating to state population and demographics;
• Studying incubator programs highlighted by the National Center for State Courts Rural Justice Collaborative;
• Examining court-based and court-adjacent programs used in other states;
• Identifying strategies to provide remote legal services in rural areas;
• Examining rural attorney recruitment projects and potential expansion of those projects;
• Identifying options for using non-traditional legal resolutions;
• Assessing judicial best practices and identification of challenges of implementation; and
• Recommending necessary changes in law, regulations, or rules that will improve attorney services in rural Kansas.

According to the order, the Committee is required to submit a report with its initial recommendations to the Kansas Supreme Court before June 1, 2024.