If you think things are bad here...Lawyerist.com reports from Clio's Legal Trends Report, "40,000 Lawyers can't be wrong":
When it comes to average billable rates by state, it’s no surprise that the District of Columbia, New York, and California rank as the big three—but they also rank first, second, and ninth for lawyers per capita, and all three rank in the bottom five states for relative purchasing power. For savvy attorneys who want to compete in less crowded markets—and want their billable hours to go further—Nevada, Connecticut, and Illinois emerge as the top options for practicing law, with Arizona, Georgia, and Florida also ranking highly.
When it comes to average billable rates by state, it’s no surprise that the District of Columbia, New York, and California rank as the big three—but they also rank first, second, and ninth for lawyers per capita, and all three rank in the bottom five states for relative purchasing power. For savvy attorneys who want to compete in less crowded markets—and want their billable hours to go further—Nevada, Connecticut, and Illinois emerge as the top options for practicing law, with Arizona, Georgia, and Florida also ranking highly.