The Legal Industry in Kansas
Kansas is home to approximately 7,845 practicing attorneys, with legal professionals primarily concentrated in cities like Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, and Overland Park. These urban hubs anchor the state’s legal activity, while rural regions face a notable shortage of legal services—creating both challenges and opportunities for practitioners willing to serve underserved areas.
Key industries across the state—including agriculture, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing—heavily influence legal demand in areas like environmental law, regulatory compliance, labor and employment, and corporate law. In urban centers, the growth of startups and tech has also expanded the need for legal services in intellectual property and business law.
While Kansas has fewer lawyers per capita than the national average, the employment outlook remains stable, particularly for attorneys in specialized or high-demand sectors. With its diverse economy and a mix of metro and rural legal needs, Kansas presents a unique and evolving legal landscape for recruiters and candidates alike.
Is It Difficult to Practice Law in Kansas?
Practicing law in Kansas presents a balanced landscape of accessible entry requirements and diverse career opportunities, particularly for those open to serving in both urban and rural settings.
To practice law in Kansas, applicants must:
- Earn a Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited law school.
- Achieve a minimum score of 266 on the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which includes the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and Multistate Performance Test (MPT).
- Obtain a scaled score of at least 80 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).
- Complete a character and fitness evaluation, including submission of a fingerprint card.
Kansas administers the bar exam twice annually, in February and July, and participates in the UBE, allowing for score portability across participating jurisdictions.
The legal job market in Kansas is steady, with consistent demand for attorneys in both traditional and emerging practice areas. Urban markets like Kansas City and Wichita offer diverse opportunities in corporate law, litigation, and regulatory work. Meanwhile, rural regions continue to face a shortage of legal professionals, making them a promising option for attorneys looking to establish a practice or expand into underserved areas.
For new and relocating attorneys, Kansas offers a manageable level of competition and a legal landscape shaped by the state’s key industries—agriculture, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing—each driving demand for specialized legal services.
Our trusted network of legal recruiting firms across Kansas can help connect you with the right legal opportunities—whether you’re targeting major cities or underserved regions. Contact the Legal Recruiter Directory today to get started.
