I know that it varies, but on average, how many cases does the average lawyer handle per year. I know that public defenders handle about 500 per year.

What about other attorneys? What is their average?

Most attorneys don't handle any cases

Not meaning to be sarcastic, but seriously - litigators often handle very few at big firms (think 1-2 per year) although it varies based on the kind of practice and where the attorney fits in. Transactional attorneys of all flavors will basically never see court or 'handle a case' in a traditional sense. In terms of how many clients they have or how the work is split up, I have far too little info to respond coherently.

I met an attorney who had started working on a case as a summer associate. The case finally wen to trial when he was up for partner 8 years later.


Really, there is no typical.

Correct--if you want trial court action, the only career path that will guarantee you that is criminal work.

Personal injury attorneys and insurance defense attorneys still go to trial, but it is something like less than 5% of their total cases and even then the trials take much longer to come to fruition than a criminal case.

Transactional/biglawyers/etc don't go to trial by any real measure. One partner I know who is well into his 40s has done two trials in his lifetime.

Well, does anyone have any idea as to how many clients they work with in a year?

Anywhere from hundreds a year to a handful in their entire career.

I work in criminal defense. A firm of seven lawyers has hundreds of cases at one time. Granted, most don't require any immediate action, but, everyday, there are at least three attorneys going to court (which is very different than trial), and trials happen a dozen times a year (big ones once or twice a year).

What the hell is the point of this question? All lawyers "handle" 23.5 cases per year each. Irrespective of practice, location or specialty. Happy?

Thanks for the responses everyone. I asked this question to get a better sense of what it's like to be a lawyer and what their jobs entail.