Newly hired lawyers and attorneys usually start as associates and work with more experienced lawyers or judges.
        After several years, some lawyers and attornyes are admitted to partnership in their firm, which means they are partial owners of the firm, or go into practice for themselves.
         Some experienced lawyers and attornyes are nominated or elected to judgeships.
        Lawyers held about 763,000 jobs in 2006. Approximately 28 percent of lawyers were self-employed, practicing either in solo practices or as partners in law firms or . Most salaried lawyers held positions in law firms, in government, or other corporations, or in nonprofit organizations. In the Federal Government, lawyers worked for many different agencies but were concentrated in the Departments of Treasury, Justice, and Defense.