They don't. The public believes that all lawyers make a lot of money, probably because of tv and because of the fact that lawyers at large firms make a lot of money. Most lawyers are solidly in the middle class. A good number of lawyers are barely making ends meet. The lawyers who do make a lot of money do so because they are at large firms or because they are with firms who are very good at marketing themselves and/or provide top quality service and have a reputation for doing so.