Law has been around since the very dawn of civilization. People essentially came together to set up a bunch of rules which they decided would make society function more harmoniously and help keep them safe.
Original laws were very simple and straight forward. Most simply outlawed acts of violence while others regulated matter of finance. Flash forward today to the United States and the picture is very different. There are literally thousands of laws on the books.
When you have thousands of laws (both federally, locally, and on the state level) you will need specialists to practice these laws. Attorneys (or lawyers) are people who have been educated in law and have practiced how to prosecute cases.
There are specialists for each section. Many times, an attorney will specialize in more than one kind. A disability attorney in Melbourne, Florida may also practice family law or probate law. Usually, these areas of practice go hand-in-hand.
Here’s a clean, one-column list of the most common kinds of law that U.S. attorneys actually specialize in and put on their business cards/websites:
- Criminal Defense
- Personal Injury
- Family Law / Divorce
- Estate Planning & Probate (Wills & Trusts)
- Real Estate
- Business / Corporate Law
- Employment & Employment Law
- Immigration
- Bankruptcy
- Intellectual Property (Patent, Trademark, Copyright)
- Tax Law
- Medical Malpractice
- Workers’ Compensation
- Social Security Disability
- Civil Rights
- Environmental Law
- Construction Law
- Insurance Defense
- Product Liability
- DUI / Traffic
- Elder Law
- Adoption Law
- Entertainment & Sports Law
- Maritime / Admiralty Law
- Aviation Law
- Cybersecurity & Data Privacy
- Securities & Finance
- Antitrust / Competition
- Health Care Law
- Native American / Tribal Law
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There are over 1 million attorneys in the United States. Law and the practice of law have become big business. Try watching a television show of sporting event without seeing an ad for an attorney.
Many lawsuits are frivolous and oftentimes the lawyers are the only ones who make out in the end. But a majority of cases that make it to trial are necessary in straightening things out.
Everything from custody issues to financial compensation is decided in the courtroom. However, 95%of cases are settled beforehand. Mostly, this is done through arbitration or mediation. This saves time and money and allows parties to go their separate ways without a long and expensive trial.
Based on official court statistics, the United States saw approximately 68.5 million new lawsuits (civil and criminal cases) filed across federal and state courts in 2024. This figure represents a slight decline from prior years (e.g., about 68 million in 2023), influenced by factors like economic recovery and reduced post-pandemic backlogs.
These suits were on the local, state and federal level. That is basically 1 lawsuit for every 6 citizens in the country. Those numbers are quite eyepopping when you think about it. It’s important to remember than an overwhelming majority of these suits are settled or dropped and never see the light of day. Also, one person or entity is usually responsible for a multitude of lawsuits. The numbers are most certainly misleading.
