New York, NY – June 22, 2022 — ALM has released the 2022 NLJ 500, LGBTQ Scorecard and the Women-in-Law Scorecard. The 2022 NLJ 500 provides a detailed look at head count changes in the nation’s largest law firms. The 2022 LGBTQ Scorecard contains staffing counts on LGBT attorneys at NLJ 350 law firms. The Women-in-Law Scorecard focuses on staffing counts for women attorneys at NLJ 350 law firms.

“The NLJ 500, including its law firm branch office details, continues to be a crucial data set for law firms, legal departments, and service providers”, said Patrick Fuller, Vice President & General Manager of ALM Intelligence. “Additionally, the Women in Law Scorecard indicates that the percentage of women lawyers in the NLJ 500 increased nearly 1% in FY 2021, but women still represent just under 4 of every 10 NLJ 500 lawyers. The legal profession is improving gender diversity, and the opportunity for continued growth remains strong.”

The 2022 findings include:

– In comparison to 2020, head count grew by 1.8% and the average firm size increased by six lawyers in 2021

– Among the total number of lawyers in the Women’s Scorecard, 49.2% of associates and 26.2% of partners identified as female

– Among the total number of lawyers in the LGBTQ Scorecard, 4.1% of lawyers identified as LGBTQ

The NLJ 500 analyzes head count data on the nation’s largest 500 law firms. It is a compilation of each firm’s associates, non-equity partners, and equity partners. Also, it collects additional data on the size of each of the firm’s offices.

“It is encouraging to see the overall headcount figures for NLJ 500 firms rise after the declines we saw in 2020,” said Michelle Matroni, Senior Research Manager, Legal Rankings Lead, ALM Intelligence.,  “A quarter of NLJ 500 firms increased their headcount by at least 5% in 2021. Fifty-seven of these firms achieved head count growth in the double digits; whereas only 18 firms had double-digit growth in 2020.”

The 2022 NLJ 500 data, along with a special report analyzing the results, will be made available in the July 2022 print issue of The National Law Journal, and online at https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/. The data is available for online purchase at https://www.alm.com/intelligence/solutions-we-provide/business-of-law-solutions/surveys-rankings-and-reports/surveys-and-rankings/.

To view the interactive data with year-over-year trends and peer comparisons visit Law.com Compass: https://www.law.com/compass/#/home.

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