Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of new lawyers joining the profession has been decreasing every year, despite the fact that the total number of specialists in the Register of Lawyers of Ukraine already exceeds 53 thousand. According to analysts Opendatabot, since February 2022, the register has been replenished with 4,370 new lawyers, but the trend indicates a decrease in the number of new licenses every year.
As of the end of August 2024, there are 53,361 lawyers in the register. However, while in 2020 there were 5,124 new professionals, this year their number has decreased to 1,708.
A significant number of lawyers have also suspended or ceased their activities since the beginning of the war. In particular, 1,773 lawyers have temporarily suspended their work, and eight have ceased their practice altogether.
Gender distribution and regional statistics
Men dominate the profession, accounting for 60% of the total number of lawyers, while women make up 40%. The largest number of lawyers is registered in Kyiv Oblast, with 9,127, or 17% of the total, and in Kyiv, with 5,682 (10.6%). Other regions with high numbers of lawyers include Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, and Donetsk Oblasts.
Trends in the regions
The largest increase in new attorney licenses was observed in western regions, such as Zakarpattia Oblast (+15%), Vinnytsia Oblast (+14.6%), Odesa Oblast (+14.6%), and Rivne Oblast (+13.8%). However, it is worth noting that the place of issuance of an attorney license does not always coincide with the actual place of work of specialists.
Overall, the legal profession in Ukraine, despite its difficulties, remains a significant profession, but faces the challenge of a reduction in the number of new professionals, which may affect the legal system in the future.
