The Legal Profession The importance of the legal profession in today's society is unquestionable. Lawyers are often powerful players in social, economic and political circles and as women and minorities become an increasing part of this profession, their ability to obtain public and private influence is increasing.1 [L]awyers are very often key players in designing and activating the institutional mechanisms through which property is transferred, economic exchange is planned and enforced, injuries are compensated, crime is punished, marriages are dissolved and disputes are resolved. The ideologies and incentives of the lawyers engaged in these functions directly influence the lived experience of Americans, including whether they feel fairly treated by legal institutions (p. 346).2 However, perhaps more important than the influence of attorneys is the central role they play in maintaining social stability. The persuasive power of law as a tool to change or eliminate certain or nonproductive behavior must, in part, be attributable to the respect and acquiescence afforded to the law and lawyers by those subject to it. . . . Hence, the development of law and its practice as a noble profession rather than as a trade or occupation (p. 1022).3 More specifically, Patterns of stratification with the legal profession are important in their own right . . . but they are of particular concern to legal scholars and legal educators because principles of inequality among lawyers may suggest much about whether access to justice in our society is fairly distributed. If race, gender, and social class are determinants for entry into the profession and for the attainment of certain positions within the profession, it may imply that these same attributes affect the sorts of treatment individuals will receive by legal institutions, in part because they do not have access to lawyers who share a similar social background (Nelson, 1988, p. 368).4 Social scientists have researched many aspects of American law firms including size, geographic location, hiring and promotion patterns, legal specialties, profitability, and client characteristics. Several themes emerge from this literature.

AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYERS - BJs WHOLESALE CLUB LAWYERS - HURRICANE KATRINA LAWYERS - HURRICANE RITA LAWYERS - METABOLIFE LAWYERS - STATE FARM LAWYERS - ACCUTANE LAWYERS - BAYCOL LAWYERS - BEXTRA LAWYERS - CELEBREX LAWYERS - CELEXA LAWYERS - CIALIS LAWYERS - CRESTOR LAWYERS - DES LAWYERS - EFFEXOR LAWYERS - ENBREL LAWYERS - EPHEDRA LAWYERS - FEN-PHEN LAWYERS - LEVITRA LAWYERS - LEXAPRO LAWYERS - MOTRIN LAWYERS - NEURONTIN LAWYERS - PAXIL LAWYERS - PAXIL BIRTH DEFECTS LAWYERS - PERMAX LAWYERS - PREMPRO LAWYERS - PROZAC LAWYERS - REMICADE LAWYERS - REZULIN LAWYERS - STRATTERA LAWYERS - TYSABRI LAWYERS - VIAGRA LAWYERS - VIOXX LAWYERS - WELLBUTRIN LAWYERS - ZICAM LAWYERS - ZITHROMAX LAWYERS - ZOCOR LAWYERS - ZOLOFT LAWYERS - ZYPREXA LAWYERS -DISABILITY PROTECTION LAWYERS - WHISTLEBLOWERS LAWYERS -BENZENE LAWYERS - VINYL CHLORIDE LAWYERS - WELDERS LAWYERS -AORTA GRAFT LAWYERS - ASBESTOS LAWYERS - BIRTH TRAUMA LAWYERS - BOSTON SCIENTIFIC STENT LAWYERS - BYPASS LAWYERS - CARDIAC DEFIBRILLATORS LAWYERS - DISABILITY DENIAL LAWYERS - GAMBRO DAVITA DIALYSIS LAWYERS - GUIDANT LAWYERS - HEART STENT LAWYERS - INSULIN PUMP LAWYERS - JOINT REPLACEMENT LAWYERS - KIDNEY DIALYSIS LAWYERS - MALPRACTICE LAWYERS - MEDTRONIC ICD/CRT-D LAWYERS - NURSING HOME LAWYERS - OBGYN LAWYERS - ORTHO-EVRA LAWYERS - PACEMAKER LAWYERS - ST. JUDE HEART VALVE LAWYERS - STROKE LAWYERS - TISSUE IMPLANTS LAWYERS - BROKER FRAUD LAWYERS - WORLDCOM LAWYERS -