Key Findings
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Combined annual DUI arrests and fatal hit-and-run crashes total roughly 689,514 cases nationwide. Measured against each state’s employed-lawyer workforce, the per-100-lawyer rate runs from 557 at the top to 11 at the bottom, a gap of roughly 50 times.
This study, conducted by Kitchel Law divides each state’s combined average annual DUI arrests (FBI UCR, 2021-2025) and fatal hit-and-run crashes (NHTSA FARS, 2020-2024) by its average annual employed-lawyer headcount (BLS OES, 2020-2024) and multiplies by 100 to produce a per-100-lawyer rate, a comparative proxy for per-lawyer case-volume exposure, not a literal caseload per attorney.
States With the Highest Per-Lawyer Case Exposure
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual DUI Arrests (2021-2025) | Avg. Annual Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes (2020-2024) | Combined Avg. Annual Cases | Avg. Annual Employed Lawyers (2020-2024) | Cases per 100 Lawyers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 6,137 | 3.2 | 6,140 | 1,102 | 557 |
| 2 | North Dakota | 4,578 | 2.8 | 4,580 | 1,120 | 409 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 11,567 | 29.8 | 11,597 | 3,216 | 361 |
| 4 | Idaho | 7,451 | 4.0 | 7,455 | 2,350 | 317 |
| 5 | Wyoming | 2,723 | 1.8 | 2,724 | 976 | 279 |
| 6 | Alaska | 2,852 | 4.4 | 2,856 | 1,054 | 271 |
| 7 | Iowa | 9,308 | 4.2 | 9,312 | 3,516 | 265 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 19,202 | 32.4 | 19,234 | 8,430 | 228.2 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 19,494 | 94.4 | 19,589 | 8,602 | 227.7 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 4,267 | 2.0 | 4,269 | 1,913 | 223 |
Sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer; NHTSA FARS via CDAN; U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
The top of the ranking is dominated by states with compact resident lawyer workforces, where moderate absolute case counts translate into outsized per-lawyer ratios. Wisconsin and Tennessee are the exceptions, each clearing 8,000 employed lawyers yet ranking in the top 10 on the strength of combined case volumes above 19,000 per year.
States With the Highest Absolute Combined Case Volume
| Volume Rank | State | Combined Avg. Annual Cases | Per-100-Lawyer Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 85,181 | 41 |
| 2 | Texas | 61,470 | 33 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 34,766 | 31 |
| 4 | Washington | 22,891 | 20 |
| 5 | Michigan | 21,417 | 30 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 21,180 | 19 |
| 7 | Arizona | 21,178 | 16 |
| 8 | Georgia | 20,516 | 39 |
| 9 | Ohio | 19,896 | 36 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 19,589 | 9 |
Sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer; NHTSA FARS via CDAN; U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Raw case volume does not track the per-lawyer ranking: California, Texas, and Pennsylvania lead in absolute cases but fall between 31st and 41st per lawyer due to their large resident lawyer workforces. Tennessee is the only state in this volume top 10 to also place in the per-lawyer top 10.
States With the Lowest Per-Lawyer Case Exposure
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual DUI Arrests (2021-2025) | Avg. Annual Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes (2020-2024) | Combined Avg. Annual Cases | Avg. Annual Employed Lawyers (2020-2024) | Cases per 100 Lawyers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | California | 84,715 | 465.8 | 85,181 | 89,788 | 95 |
| 42 | Maryland | 11,827 | 49.4 | 11,876 | 13,662 | 87 |
| 43 | Connecticut | 6,388 | 28.0 | 6,416 | 7,990 | 80 |
| 44 | New Jersey | 13,730 | 60.4 | 13,790 | 23,112 | 60 |
| 45 | Illinois | 16,445 | 105.0 | 16,550 | 31,366 | 53 |
| 46 | Louisiana | 3,276 | 67.4 | 3,344 | 8,328 | 40 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | 7,452 | 16.8 | 7,469 | 20,420 | 37 |
| 48 | Florida | 12,665 | 257.0 | 12,922 | 55,832 | 23 |
| 49 | New York | 15,690 | 97.8 | 15,788 | 84,444 | 19 |
| 50 | Delaware | 300 | 9.0 | 309 | 2,758 | 11 |
Sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer; NHTSA FARS via CDAN; U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Large resident lawyer workforces pull California, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts toward the bottom of the ranking, compressing the per-lawyer rate despite substantial absolute case totals. Delaware’s reported DUI arrest average of 300 per year is anomalously low and most plausibly reflects incomplete UCR reporting; its rate of 11 should be interpreted cautiously.
Methodology
This study combines each state’s average annual DUI arrests (2021-2025, FBI UCR) with fatal hit-and-run crashes (2020-2024, NHTSA FARS), divided by the average annual employed-lawyer headcount (2020-2024, BLS OES), and multiplies by 100 to produce a per-100-lawyer rate. It is a comparative proxy, not a literal caseload. Limitations: DUI counts depend on UCR participation (Delaware’s participation appears incomplete); BLS OES may undercount solo practitioners; a few state-years are missing (notably New Hampshire 2023-2024 and Rhode Island 2022) and averaged over available years; arrests are not convictions; non-fatal hit-and-run crashes are excluded; 2025 UCR data may be preliminary.
Data Sources
FBI Crime Data Explorer – DUI arrests, 2021-2025: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/
NHTSA CDAN / FARS Query Tool – fatal hit-and-run crashes, 2020-2024: https://cdan.dot.gov/query
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May releases): https://www.bls.gov/oes/2024/may/oessrcst.htm
Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zZY6WifotAYAw6DfX72tfPgRlpa-SdaOh4a0C2YoP-I/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Study by: https://kitchellaw.com
About Kitchel Law
Kitchel Law is a Washington, D.C. based legal practice led by attorney Allyson Kitchel, serving clients across the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. With nearly 20 years of experience in personal injury and civil litigation, the firm provides data-driven insights on legal and public safety issues.
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