No matter the result, when the 48th federal parliament takes shape after the 3 May election, lawyers will again be over-achievers — especially in the senior ranks of the Labor Party.
Lawyers represent about 0.5% of voters, but 20% of current federal MPs and about 40% of the Labor cabinet.
Yet their numbers have actually dwindled over the past decade, with parliament shedding around 12 lawyer MPs.
In 2013, Australia elected 60 lawyers to the 44th parliament. The Coalition parties had 28 lawyer MPs, Labor had 26 and the Greens had three (including their only lower house MP, Adam Bandt). All up, lawyers comprised 26.5% of MPs.
