Legal practice encompasses many diverse practice settings, including large, medium, and small law firms; government agencies at the federal, state and local levels; civil legal services organizations; public interest law firms; public defender offices; prosecutors offices; and law reform/policy organizations.

Within each practice setting, there are typically different individual organizations that focus on one or several practice areas. For example, direct service providers may work on a panoply of poverty issues, from community economic development to children’s rights to housing law and more. Lawyers in corporate law firms may work on mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, real estate and more. Notably, government lawyers work on every conceivable issue; to illustrate, the U.S. Department of Agriculture addresses many cutting-edge environmental issues, such as factory farming.