The table chart contains the proportions of career choices across different disciplines of lawyers.
Overall, the percentage of female lawyers increased in most sectors over 15 years, while the proportion of men declined in government but rose slightly in private law and other industries.
In 2001, government jobs had the highest percentage of male lawyers 45%, followed by other industries. Private law and business law had the lowest shares, at 15% and 14%, respectively. By 2016, the percentage of men in government dropped significantly to 38%, while private law and other industries rose slightly to 19% and 29%. Business law remained unchanged at 14%.
For female lawyers, government jobs accounted for the highest proportion in 2001 41%, followed by other industries 28%, private law 17%, and business law 14%. By 2016, the percentage of women in law and business increased to 21%, while government jobs grew slightly to 42%. Meanwhile, other industries saw a notable rise to 30%, but private law experienced a small decline to 16%.