American legal practice shifted from solo and small-firm work toward large firms.

Evidence

For most of the nation’s history, the typical lawyer was a solo practitioner or a partner in a very small firm. But developments over the last half-century have altered the practice of law. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1196

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Nineteenth-century American lawyers mostly practiced alone without specialization — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 682; Three postwar developments transformed lawyers from autonomous professionals into employees — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 769; The practice of law shifted from courtroom litigation to transactional work — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 3621 (+13 more)

Broader Connections

• The practice of law shifted from courtroom litigation to transactional work #expands (0.95) — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 3621
• Law-firm employment concentration grew enormously between 1968 and 2011 #corroborates (0.95) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1043
• Solo practice became the exception rather than the rule among American lawyers. #corroborates (0.90) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 683
• Large law firms came to dominate legal practice nationwide by 2000. #expands (0.90) — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 4026
• Corporate in-house and firm capture of work is shrinking solo practice #corroborates (0.90) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1055
• Once court-centered, lawyer work now chiefly keeps clients out of litigation #expands (0.90) — Lawrence M. Friedman and Grant M. Hayden, American Law, 1218
• Solo practice historically absorbed lawyers barred from major firms by background #complicates (0.85) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1053
• Continuous corporate legal needs drove the shift to retainer practice #corroborates (0.85) — Lawrence M. Friedman and Grant M. Hayden, American Law, 1227
• Legal profession growth tracked commercial expansion, not litigation demand alone #corroborates (0.85) — Lawrence M. Friedman and Grant M. Hayden, American Law, 1215
• US lawyers per capita stagnated for seventy years then suddenly doubled #complicates (0.75) — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 476
• Legal profession growth substantially reflects opening to formerly excluded groups #complicates (0.75) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1195
• Economic activity cannot fully explain the scale of the American legal profession #complicates (0.75) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 999
• Commercial law shifted from merchants to broad market participants #complicates (0.70) — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 1568
• A single lawyer can move between distinct roles in the judicial system #complicates (0.70) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 889