Today, some large firms practice criminal and divorce law, and certain sole practitioners may practice corporate securities law. The work has changed. Today's lawyers come in a broad range of hues, genders, persuasions, and political stripes. The white-haired distinguished avuncular type is a rare specimen of the breed. The players have changed.
Lawyers ply their trade in a remarkable array of practice settings.
Some do so completely alone, from their homes, without staff. Some law firms have a heritage predating the War Between the States, and others can't stay glued together long enough for the ink to dry on the new letterhead. What looks like a firm to the casual observer may be merely an office-sharing arrangement, which can mean anything from a shared reception room to common letterhead. A sole practitioner may truly be just that - or the employer of several lawyers. The scenery has changed.