The short story is that a firm calculated the number of bar exam passers versus the estimated number of annual lawyer job openings. New York produces about 7,700 lawyers more per year than the state needs. Nationwide, the total is over 27,000, which includes non-ABA schools. To this, New Jersey and Massachusetts add the unhappy combination of low compensation and high COL.
The stats are actually wrong because Wisconsin doesn't require bar passage if you graduate from a Wisconsin school, and you can waive into DC. Nebraska is hopelessly insular, and in any event I sincerely doubt there's a lawyer shortage there.
So, lemmings, head for Brooklyn Law, Chapman, and Rutgers now! And, ABA, keep up the good work!
| 2010-15 Est. Annual Openings | 2009 Bar Exam Passers | 2009 Completers (IPEDS) | Surplus/ Shortage | Median Wages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 2,100 | 9,787 | 4,771 | 7,687 | $56.57 |
| California | 3,307 | 6,258 | 5,042 | 2,951 | $50.61 |
| New Jersey | 844 | 3,037 | 787 | 2,193 | $43.84 |
| Illinois | 1,394 | 3,073 | 2,166 | 1,679 | $51.54 |
| Massachusetts | 715 | 2,165 | 2,520 | 1,450 | $43.89 |
| Pennsylvania | 869 | 1,943 | 1,697 | 1,074 | $46.05 |
| Texas | 2,155 | 3,052 | 2,402 | 897 | $41.55 |
| Florida | 2,027 | 2,782 | 2,781 | 755 | $36.39 |
| Maryland | 560 | 1,277 | 548 | 717 | $41.46 |
| Missouri | 362 | 943 | 908 | 581 | $39.96 |
| Connecticut | 316 | 880 | 510 | 564 | $43.69 |
| North Carolina | 503 | 1,032 | 279 | 529 | $37.79 |
| Minnesota | 378 | 888 | 948 | 510 | $43.69 |
| Ohio | 686 | 1,194 | 1,513 | 508 | $34.69 |
| Georgia | 779 | 1,217 | 894 | 438 | $46.11 |
| Colorado | 547 | 967 | 509 | 420 | $40.83 |
| Virginia | 956 | 1,375 | 1,435 | 419 | $49.34 |
| Louisiana | 357 | 731 | 810 | 374 | $33.35 |
| Tennessee | 389 | 735 | 446 | 346 | $37.34 |
| Washington | 619 | 935 | 678 | 316 | $37.37 |
| Oregon | 291 | 594 | 519 | 303 | $34.51 |
| Indiana | 339 | 602 | 825 | 263 | $32.48 |
| South Carolina | 262 | 506 | 410 | 244 | $33.03 |
| Kentucky | 261 | 478 | 389 | 217 | $34.39 |
| Nevada | 219 | 392 | 143 | 173 | $40.32 |
| Arizona | 440 | 607 | 378 | 167 | $37.51 |
| New Mexico | 134 | 298 | 114 | 164 | $29.78 |
| Michigan | 862 | 1,024 | 1,993 | 162 | $35.22 |
| Kansas | 190 | 351 | 296 | 161 | $31.16 |
| Alabama | 295 | 455 | 406 | 160 | $37.98 |
| Iowa | 155 | 290 | 556 | 135 | $32.16 |
| Rhode Island | 102 | 209 | 184 | 107 | $39.65 |
| Hawaii | 76 | 179 | 88 | 103 | $33.70 |
| Mississippi | 173 | 268 | 335 | 95 | $28.86 |
| Utah | 308 | 401 | 283 | 93 | $37.04 |
| W. Virginia | 100 | 191 | 152 | 91 | $32.51 |
| Montana | 81 | 163 | 83 | 82 | $24.96 |
| Maine | 75 | 153 | 91 | 78 | $29.70 |
| Arkansas | 152 | 227 | 243 | 75 | $30.83 |
| Wyoming | 40 | 113 | 80 | 73 | $29.86 |
| New Hampshire | 92 | 154 | 146 | 62 | $30.84 |
| Oklahoma | 326 | 387 | 489 | 61 | $29.56 |
| South Dakota | 38 | 83 | 73 | 45 | $29.19 |
| North Dakota | 33 | 63 | 80 | 30 | $28.78 |
| Idaho | 128 | 157 | 97 | 29 | $30.77 |
| Alaska | 41 | 66 | 0 | 25 | $37.80 |
| Delaware | 116 | 141 | 235 | 25 | $60.67 |
| Vermont | 51 | 55 | 191 | 4 | $30.48 |
| Nebraska | 112 | 109 | 279 | -3 | $32.47 |
| Wisconsin | 262 | 248 | 691 | -14 | $36.43 |
| D.C. | 618 | 273 | 2,109 | -345 | $70.96 |
| Nation | 26,239 | 53,508 | 44,159 | 27,269 | $44.22 |
