The 2009 NLJ 250: Headcount of BigLaw Firms Declined by 5,000 Lawyers

"The United States' largest law firms this year suffered the deepest cuts in their attorney numbers since The National Law Journal began tracking their census figures more than 30 years ago," writes the NLJ's Leigh Jones about the findings of the 2009 National Law Journal 250 survey in 2009 Worst Year for Lawyer Headcount in 3 Decades, Says 'NLJ 250' Survey. The number of attorneys in 2009 declined to 126,669 lawyers, compared with 131,928 attorneys last year. "The overall downturn in totals this year was partly a correction of the rapid growth that NLJ 250 firms experienced during the preceding five years" according to Jones. Link to the 2009 NLJ 250 (subscription required). [JH]