Why Do Blue States Keep Prioritizing Lawyers Over Low-Income Americans?

Last year was one of the best ever for the world’s richest law firms. Deals surged. Hiring boomed. Salaries ballooned. First-year associates now make $215,000, and that’s pre-bonus. The median BigLaw partner earns well over $1 million a year.

For most Americans, however, the pandemic has been a legal disaster. The need for legal help swelled alongside rising household debt, unemployment claims, and domestic violence incidents. Even pre-pandemic, most Americans did not hire a lawyer when facing legal problems, even serious ones. The majority of legal problems are met with inaction—a person doesn’t write the will, doesn’t contest the eviction, doesn’t challenge...