U.S. Legal Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Services (Taxation, Real Estate, Litigation, Bankruptcy, Labor/Employment, Corporate), By Firm Size, By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Market Size & Trends

The U.S. legal services market size was valued at USD 372.61 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5% from 2023 to 2030. The growth can be credited to the increasing need for legal services across small to large-scale enterprises. They provide a wide range of services, including protection of business owners’ personal assets, protection of the enterprise against discrimination, dealing with employee contracts, wrongful termination, copyright claims, incorporation, etc. The rising need among businesses to comply with regulations and remain competitive is positively influencing the U.S. legal services industry.

The legal industry in the U.S. is witnessing a significant transformation in terms of practice model and technological adoption. Legal service firms are inclined to improve their processes through Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data analytics, automation tools, team collaboration platforms, cloud computing, etc., to gain a competitive edge in the market. In March 2023, Casetext, a legal AI company, launched CoCounsel, its AI legal assistant powered by GPT-4, the advanced large language model from OpenAI. The company confirmed that GPT-4 passed the Uniform Bar Exam’s multiple-choice as well as written portions, providing a professional-grade AI for law.

Big Data analytics is also expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the U.S. legal services industry. This, in turn, has facilitated the growth of startups such as Ravel Law, FiscalNote, and InvestCEE Tanacsado Kft., which provide quality and technologically advanced analytical insights to their clients. Besides, the increasing adoption of legal library applications such as iLegal, NotaryCam, and LawSauce Legislation to provide lawyers and people access to legal services is also favoring the market growth.

Another crucial factor expediting the growth of the market or legal services in the U.S. is the increased adoption of in-house digital strategies that help enhance and transform the activities and processes of businesses. Moreover, there has been stable growth in the implementation of cloud technology by legal departments and law firms.

Services Insights

The corporate segment is estimated to witness a CAGR of over 3.0% from 2023 to 2030. This can be credited to the increasing demand for these services driven by the emergence of new types of financial transactions on corporate fronts. The rising demand for services associated with intellectual property in the corporate sector is projected to impel segmental growth. Moreover, increasing cases of arguments over harassment of employees, organizational discrimination audits, and copyright violation & patent infringement are instigating the demand for corporate services to a great extent.

The litigation segment held a considerable revenue share of the market of over 29.0% in 2022. The law firms involved in third-party legal financing and litigation funding are expanding their geographical presence and diversifying their jurisdiction range. This has created ample opportunities for litigation service providers. Moreover, the enforcement of stringent regulations in labor relations and Intellectual Property (IP) protection has also instigated the demand for litigation services in the U.S.

Firm Size Insights

Large firms segment accounted for a revenue share of over 31.0% in 2022, owing to a diversified range of services. These firms provide most judicial work, such as significant business transactions, large-scale litigations, criminal defense matters for businesses across various industries, etc. The increased demand from large organizations for corporate and judicial services is driving the growth of the large firms segment.

Small firms segment is estimated to record a notable CAGR from 2023 to 2030. These law firms provide personalized services and a one-on-one working relationship as they handle a limited number of cases. Moreover, they are more affordable as they charge less due to their lesser cost of operations as compared to large firms. These legal service firms are growing geographically while expanding their global customer base by providing high-end specialized services that involve complex transactions, which is expected to drive segmental growth over the coming years.

Application Insights

Legal business firms sector accounted for a significant market share of nearly 62.0% in 2022. These firms are formed by a few lawyers to involve in the law practice and they are primarily involved in advising clients about their legal responsibilities & rights and represent the clients in criminal or civil cases, business transactions, and other matters requiring legal advice. The increasing investments by these firms in client education, pipeline management, local community activities, and public relations is expected to drive segmental growth over the forecast period.

Private practice attorneys segment is estimated to record a substantial CAGR of nearly 4.0% from 2023 to 2030. This can be credited to increasing preference for private attorneys as they give undivided attention to a particular client’s case. Moreover, they have access to the resources such as mental health assessments, DNA and other testing, expert witnesses, forensics specialists, private investigators, etc., required to mount a viable defense.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The key players operating in the U.S. legal services market are focusing on employing technologically advanced solutions. They are also implementing various strategic initiatives, such as collaborations, mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships to gain a competitive edge in the market. In December 2022, Baker McKenzie strengthened its Machine Learning Practice- BakerML by collaborating with ADAPT (Advancing Diversity Across Patent Teams), a consortium of major tech companies collaborating to improve inclusion, equity, and diversity in patent practice. As a part of this initiative, the BakerML team will work with Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Disney, etc. to scale efforts to make the patent process more accessible and inclusive. Some of the prominent players in the U.S. legal services market include:

• Baker & McKenzie

• Clifford Chance

• Deloitte

• DLA Piper

• Ernst & Young (E&Y)

• Jones Day

• Kirkland & Ellis LLP

• Latham & Watkins LLP

• Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

• Norton Rose Fulbright

• PwC

• SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP

• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

• White & Case LLP

U.S. Legal Services Market Report Scope

U.S. Legal Services Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the country level and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. legal services market report based on services, firm size, and application:

• Services Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Taxation

  • Real Estate

  • Litigation

  • Bankruptcy

  • Labor/Employment

  • Corporate

• Firm Size Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Large Firms

  • Medium Firms

  • Small Firms

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Private Practicing Attorneys

  • Legal Business Firms

  • Government Departments

  • Others