Some bloke on the net asked why there are so many lawyers in the USA. I thought that some of the answers this guy got were interesting. Here are some samples:
1. Because we have a complex industrial society unlike many other countries. A complex industrial society requires many laws, which results in a lot of lawyers. It also requires that courts and lawyers be available to resolve disputes. Which is still a lot cheaper than resolving disputes with the AK-47.
2. Because we value fairness. Which results in more laws. Which results in more lawyers. For example, the U.S. enacted civil rights legislation in 1964 making it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of race. 40 years later, there are plenty of lawyers making a good living suing employers for race discrimination. And plenty of lawyers making a good living defending employers from charges of race discrimination. Duh. What did people expect?
3. Law schools are profit centers for universities. They're relatively cheap compared to other graduate level programs -- all you need is a bunch of academically oriented lawyers and a decent library. Presto! You can start minting new professionals.
4. The perception today is that a graduate degree is almost a necessity. Let's say you aren't scientifically inclined or driven enough to go to Med school, aren't narrowly focused enough to pursue a Ph.D in an academic field and are not sufficiently a corporate suck-up to pursue an MBA. What's left? A JD is a good generalist's degree.
5. Very few of my classmates were expressly greedy or in it for the money. There were definitely a few, and their careers have followed a predictable (and profitable) path. But I think most of us were just there so we could pursue a more interesting career. There also was (is?) a perception that there was some prestige attached to attending law school.