It is suggested that certain features of legal training and practices indicate that lawyers are particularly well suited to play active roles in the communities in which they live. To investigate this premise, the author interviewed 128 West Midlands solicitors, including partners in private practice and solicitors employed in business and industry. The research shows how the type of practice, size, and location are related to solicitors' differential involvement in extra-professional activities. Differences in the degree of participation in such activities were also found to be related to education, training, and other factors. Findings indicate that solicitors in private practice were much more involved in community and professional activities than business solicitors. A similar trend was found for involvement in political activities, although the relationship was not quite as strong. Solicitors in large firms were found to be slightly more involved in political and professional activities than those in small firms. There was no support for the hypothesis that private practice respondents engaged largely in criminal work would be more likely to be involved in politics but less likely to be involved in community activities than solicitors doing civil work. There was clear evidence that private practice solicitors who were heavily involved in community activities were also involved in political activities. Solicitors practicing in suburbs and medium-size and small towns participated slightly more in community activities than did those in Central Birmingham. There was some evidence that solicitors with a 'better quality' legal education practiced in larger firms. Involvement in politics was positively associated with the age of solicitors. Extensive endnotes, appendixes, a bibliography, tables, figures, and an index are included in the book. (Author abstract modified).