the 10 things you should know about this profession

For 57 years, July 12 is the date on which Mexico celebrates the professionals responsible for the defense of third parties.

Although the legal profession is one of the least respected professions in the country, because it is related to corruption, bribery and dishonesty, it is one of the most renowned sectors worldwide, says Víctor Manuel Alonso, specialist of the Faculty of Law of the University La Salle, on the occasion of the celebration of the day of the lawyer.

“In general, these professionals are not well regarded, much less those associated with the defense of corrupt politicians. Although the image changes if it is about those who represent a civil organization or protect human rights, ”explains the academic also.

Although stigmas do not detract from the work of lawyers, Alonso recommends regulating the academic entities that offer a law degree because the study periods have been reduced from four years to two years on average. "Now there are schools that form lawyers with very small school periods, that's a big problem."

He comments that the existence of an organ that offers renewable licenses and reviews the quality of the study programs would help to improve the professional's image.

Read more: The information you should know on the day of the lawyer

Because 57 years ago the celebration of Attorney's Day in Mexico began, these are the 10 things you should know about the profession:

1. There are 706,050 lawyers in the country, of which 60.3% are men and 39.7% are women.

2. Eight out of 10 professionals have full-time employment.

3. Just over half of the lawyers do some activity according to their studies, while four out of 10 never practiced law.

4. 36.2% of graduates of the law degree practice in financial and corporate services companies.

5. On average, Mexican lawyers earn 8,633 pesos per month.

6. Seven out of 10 professionals are salaried, 23% are self-employed and 8% are employers.

7. 35.5% of lawyers practice in Mexico City, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala.

8. Seven out of 10 graduates of the law degree have been in the same company for more than three years.

9. 60.1% work in private industry, while 39.9% do so in the public sector.

10. 33.4% of lawyers in Mexico are between 25 and 34 years old, 33% between 35 and 44 years old and 30.3% over 45 years old.

* Data obtained from the Labor Observatory as of the first quarter of 2017.