What Is a Law Firm? | Types, Structure, and Jobs

Joining a law firm is often the end goal for many students pursuing online J.D. programs. Though Master of Legal Studies (MLS) graduates do not take the bar exam to become practicing lawyers, they may still pursue positions at law firms, such as paralegals or legal researchers.

This guide answers common questions about how law firms work and what career paths are available after graduation. Learn about types of law firms, roles within the law firm structure, and how different law firms work together in a hierarchy.

What Is a Law Firm?

This law firm definition comes from Merriam-Webster: “a group of lawyers who work together as a business.” Lawyers are trained to conduct lawsuits on behalf of their clients and advise on legal rights and obligations in other matters. Law firms assist with multiple aspects of daily life and decision-making, from upholding civil rights and crafting business contracts, to seeking compensation for injury victims and ensuring fair trial for the accused, to facilitating real estate transactions and lobbying to protect the environment.

How Do Law Firms Work?

Operators in the law firms industry range from sole practitioners to large, full-service law firms (PDF, 1.8 MB). Within those firms, a number of roles exist—lawyer being one of the more common. In 2024, lawyers held 864,800 jobs, with the largest share employed in legal services, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Additional lawyers worked as solo practitioners or were employed by federal, state, and local governments.

At a firm, lawyers can be associates or partners. Junior-level associates are salaried employees who work on a variety of cases and tasks within the firm but may specialize as they gain experience. Partners earn a share of the firm’s profits but are also directly responsible for bringing in business, either by working on cases solo or presiding over a team of associates.

Learn more about how to become a lawyer.

Law firms also employ paralegals who help lawyers draft, edit, and organize legal documents in preparation for trials and hearings. Conversely, legal assistants mostly handle clerical tasks. While there are a few differences between paralegals and legal assistants, these two key team members often collaborate with lawyers to complete various tasks and deliver quality service to clients. According to the BLS' May 2024 data, employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to change little or not at all from 2024 to 2034, partly due to advances in technology, including artificial intelligence. However, approximately 39,300 job openings are still projected each year, largely driven by workers retiring or changing careers.

Learn how to become a paralegal.

Financial bookkeepers, human resource managers, operational administrators, and IT support technicians can be employed by law firms. These law firm workers may not have pursued legal education, but they use their skills and expertise in other areas to keep law firms running.

Types of Law Firms

Law firms range from solo-attorney practices to multi-state organizations with hundreds of staff members. Each one has its own set of challenges and benefits - the right choice depends on individual comfort and preference.

Law Firms by Size

Law firms vary from solo attorney practices to multi-state organizations with hundreds of staff members. Each one has its own set of challenges and benefits, so the choice boils down to individual comfort and preference.

Solo Law Firms

A solo practitioner firm is run by a single lawyer who may hire outside paralegals and experts to assist with cases. These can be general or specialized but tend to offer more personal attention compared to larger law firms.

According to the ABA Profile of the Legal Profession 2024, approximately 1% of law school graduates pursue solo practice directly after graduation. Setting up a solo practice may take time, and lawyers will likely need to tap into their personal and professional networks to market it. This may not be possible for everyone. However, solo law firms can offer flexible hours, work-life balance, and the ability to choose clients, potentially making them an attractive option for more experienced professionals.

Small Law Firms

Small law firms foster close-knit collaboration and offer a feel similar to that of a solo law firm, sometimes broadening the range of legal topics explored. As such, employees may enjoy autonomy. However, limited resources might pose roadblocks to client acquisition and increase the administrative workload for lawyers. Still, small law firms are a viable option for individuals seeking varied job responsibilities and the opportunity to be part of their employer’s success story.

Boutique Law Firms

A boutique law firm focuses on a highly specialized area of law and delivers personalized legal services to a range of clients. An individual who is passionate and committed to exceptionalism may find it personally rewarding to develop expertise and make a difference in a particular legal niche, such as immigration law or civil rights. Working at a boutique firm affords lawyers the ability to obtain hands-on experience and build relationships with clients.

Medium Law Firms

Medium-sized firms offer personalized client service from partners, like those at a small firm, with increased staffing and financial resources. Compared to large firms, the not-too-big-not-too-small firm usually means less prestige but offers individual autonomy and a more strategic caseload.

Large Law Firms

The answer to the question “What is a large law firm?” focuses on the number of employees. Some of the largest law firms in the country have upward of 3,000 attorneys. Prestige, higher salaries, and better benefits are among the factors that students and job seekers often associate with firms that employ hundreds to thousands of workers. Law school graduates who end up at large firms can expect complex, challenging work in a fast-paced environment. Some large firms span multiple continents, offering global career opportunities. Many firms provide robust training programs and the ability to perform rewarding pro bono work. Potential challenges that come with working at larger firms include increased bureaucracy and billable hour requirement quotas, often resulting in longer workdays.

Law Firms by Practice Area

There are numerous types of lawyers, broken down by practice area. Choosing one of the many law degree specializations can help students frame their careers and establish themselves in a particular area of interest, such as criminal law, tax law, sports law, or cybersecurity. To become specialized lawyers, students may consider online LL.M. programs, which can be completed in as little as a year.

Law Firms by Legal Service

Law firms may limit the services they offer clients. Most law firms offer consultations for legal information and document review. Some firms specialize in helping clients prepare for litigation, and others solely represent clients in out-of-court administrative hearings, such as arbitration, mediation, or contract signings. Often, smaller firms will choose one or the other, while medium and large firms may have two departments that handle both transactional and litigation matters.

Litigation vs. Transactional Law Firms

Transactional law firms oversee contract signings and out-of-court proceedings. Transactional lawyers draft and review agreements, help structure deals and advise their clients. Students with business acumen and an aptitude for rule memorization may be drawn to transactional law.

Litigation law firms represent clients in court when a case goes to trial. Litigators spend their time writing briefs, memos, and motions; researching laws; reviewing documents; taking depositions; and attending mandatory court appearances. Law students who like subjects such as product liability, criminal law, tort litigation, constitutional law, legal research, and writing may prefer a litigation law firm setting.

Law Firm Hierarchy Structure

Some law firms have a defined hierarchy, while others have a flatter structure. Where a law firm hierarchy exists, one may progress from summer associate (intern) to junior associate and then to senior associate. Of course, this depends on the law firm and on your position, experience, and contributions to the business. Some associate attorneys enter the workforce with the ambition to become partners within a couple of years, provided they have the relevant skills.

Associates receive salaries and benefits like regular employees, and partners generally earn additional profits and bonuses based on the firm’s earnings. Law firms employ non-equity partners, meaning a portion of their compensation is paid on a fixed basis in a salary, or equity partners, meaning they file a Schedule K-1 tax form and more than half their income is tied to the firm’s profits. Junior partner vs. senior partner levels differ in the expected level of management responsibility and the share of profits paid. From there, one can become a managing equity partner who brings in clients, runs the business, and inspires colleagues by implementing innovative solutions. It’s important to keep in mind that law firm partnership structure and requirements for becoming a partner differ from one law firm to another.

Of counsel attorneys sit at the top of the law firm structure. These lawyers are not associates, partners, or shareholders, but they retain a close relationship with the firm as trusted senior advisors. They often work part-time to lend expertise, manage cases, and supervise staff.

How to Join a Law Firm

The legal field is a competitive industry, but there are many opportunities to join a law firm, whether you have a J.D. or a master’s in legal studies. Paralegals, for instance, do not need to attend law school or sit for the bar exam to start working at a law firm as an assistant. Volunteer and paid internships are often the first introduction to a law firm. Either option may provide valuable resume experience. These opportunities can be found through college career services or online research prior to graduation.

Reputable legal directories like Martindale can help narrow down your search for internships and entry-level law firm jobs. Such sites also allow graduates to target law firms by practice area, size and location. Down the line, paralegals may pursue the path to become lawyers by earning their Juris Doctor degrees and passing the bar exam. Hands-on experience at a firm may prove useful in this process. Online courses may be a convenient way to advance a career around a full or part-time work schedule.

FAQs About Law Firms

The following answers to frequently asked questions provide a snapshot of the topics covered in this guide. You may find it helpful to skim through for any essential information you missed in your first read-through.

Last updated March 2026.