Weekly Wisdom | Too Many Lawyers
America Would Benefit
As of today, lawyers account for 47% of elected U.S. senators and 34% of members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Although recent data shows that the share of lawyers among our elected representatives is declining, the legal profession still wields disproportionate influence over America’s political and economic institutions. At a time of rapid technological change, our country increasingly needs leaders who understand not only the law, but also the technologies, industries, and economic forces that will shape tomorrow.
Why we need fewer lawyers:
First, let’s acknowledge the tremendous good that many lawyers have done for our country and our movement. Whether serving as Supreme Court justices like Clarence Thomas, faithfully upholding the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, or as dedicated prosecutors putting violent criminals behind bars, countless lawyers have made invaluable contributions to the United States.
The rapid improvement of large language models (LLMs), such as Claude and ChatGPT, along with the rise of domain-specific AI companies like Harvey—which develops AI tools for the legal profession—is making lawyers significantly more productive. As routine legal work becomes increasingly automated, demand for many entry-level and average legal tasks is likely to decline. The most accomplished attorneys from top firms and law schools will continue to command premium fees, but AI will lower the cost of many legal services, making high-quality legal assistance more accessible throughout the economy.
Since we are in the early stages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and engaged in an intensifying technological Cold War with China, it is imperative that the United States produce more engineers and scientists. Recent estimates suggest that China graduates roughly nine engineers for every one produced by the United States. Because many students who pursue law possess considerable academic ability, encouraging a greater share of our most talented young people to enter engineering, computer science, and other technical fields could help close this critical gap.
Beyond artificial intelligence, rapid advances are transforming biotechnology, aerospace, defense, mining, autonomous vehicles, drones, shipbuilding, nuclear power, quantum computing, and countless other industries. To remain globally competitive, the United States needs more engineers, scientists, and other technical experts who can build the companies of tomorrow. We also need more policymakers and regulators with the technical knowledge to craft sound public policy and provide informed oversight. In short, America would benefit from having more engineers and scientists—and fewer lawyers—represented in the United States Congress.
As America accelerates into an increasingly technological future, we will need leaders and citizens who understand the emerging technologies transforming our economy, national security, and daily lives. A Congress containing more engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and technical experts would be better equipped to govern that future. For these reasons, fewer lawyers in Congress—and a broader range of professional experience—would be a welcome development.
