Market data
Consumer protection in Rhode Island: market data
What public records say about the market for consumer protection in Rhode Island: how much demand the courts and agencies count, how many law offices serve it, how many people need help in Spanish, and the ad rules that apply. Every number links to the record it comes from.
Demand: what courts and agencies count
Counts of filings, crashes, complaints and enforcement in the records each agency keeps. A count shows where problems were recorded, not how many people will hire a lawyer.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFPB credit reporting complaints | 14,446 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Rhode Island state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-ri-credit-reporting · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| CFPB debt collection complaints | 713 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Rhode Island state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-ri-debt-collection · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints | 6 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Rhode Island state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-ri-debt-management · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| FTC fraud and other reports | 11,776 reports, calendar year | 2024 | Rhode Island state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-ri-fraud-other · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| FTC identity theft reports | 2,896 reports, calendar year | 2024 | Rhode Island state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-ri-identity-theft · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| FTC imposter scam reports | 2,054 reports, calendar year | 2024 | Rhode Island state | consumer-sentinel v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876 record sentinel-ri-imposter-scams · status P · checked 2026-10-27 · linked by the markets layer |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection | 10 cases filed, fiscal year | FY2025 | Rhode Island state | federal-filings-county v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628 record federal-filings-county:RI · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| FCC unwanted call complaints | 274 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Rhode Island state | robocall-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010 record robocalls-ri-call · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| FCC unwanted text complaints | 43 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Rhode Island state | robocall-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010 record robocalls-ri-text · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal civil cases filed: consumer credit and phone-call suits | 27 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | District of Rhode Island federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-ri-consumer · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
Rising or falling
The change between the last two periods each source publishes. No threshold and no smoothing.
| Measure | Before | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFPB credit reporting complaints Rhode Island · record cfpb-ri-credit-reporting | 10,249 prior 12 months | 14,446 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+41%) |
| CFPB debt collection complaints Rhode Island · record cfpb-ri-debt-collection | 532 prior 12 months | 713 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+34%) |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints Rhode Island · record cfpb-ri-debt-management | 13 prior 12 months | 6 12 months from 2025-10-01 | falling (-53.8%) |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection Rhode Island · record federal-filings-county:RI | 6 FY2024 | 10 FY2025 | rising (+66.7%) |
| FCC unwanted call complaints Rhode Island · record robocalls-ri-call | 331 prior 12 months | 274 12 months from 2025-10-01 | falling (-17.2%) |
| FCC unwanted text complaints Rhode Island · record robocalls-ri-text | 47 prior 12 months | 43 12 months from 2025-10-01 | falling (-8.5%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 185 lawyers a year | 2025 | Rhode Island state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record ri-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 0 counties | 2026-Q1 | Rhode Island state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-44 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 0 counties | 2026-Q1 | Rhode Island state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-44 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 0 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | Rhode Island state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-44 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 697 firms | 2022 | Rhode Island state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-ri-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 1,103,801,000 US dollars | 2022 | Rhode Island state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-ri-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 7.6 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | Rhode Island state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-44 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 1,114 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | Rhode Island state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-44 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 847 establishments | 2026-Q1 | Rhode Island state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-44 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 1,840 jobs | May 2025 | Rhode Island state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:RI:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 138,960 US dollars a year | May 2025 | Rhode Island state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:RI:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Counties with the most demand per law office
Of the 25 counties in Rhode Island with the most federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection, the ten with the most per private law office. Both counts are shown with their records.
| County | Demand | Law offices | Per office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County, RI | 9 record federal-filings-county:44007 | 538 record law-offices-44007 | 0.02 |
| Kent County, RI | 1 record federal-filings-county:44003 | 141 record law-offices-44003 | 0.01 |
| Bristol County, RI | 0 record federal-filings-county:44001 | 26 record law-offices-44001 | 0 |
| Newport County, RI | 0 record federal-filings-county:44005 | 55 record law-offices-44005 | 0 |
| Washington County, RI | 0 record federal-filings-county:44009 | 54 record law-offices-44009 | 0 |
Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: consumer protection (federal-filings-county v1.0.0, FY2025) ÷ Private law offices (law-offices v1.0.0, 2026-Q1). ratio = federal-filings-county.ffc.consumer / law-offices.qcew_estabs, rounded to 2 decimals; ranked highest first, among the 25 units with the most demand. Units with zero supply are listed apart (ratio undefined); units without a published value are listed as missing.
Spanish-language demand
People who speak Spanish and speak English less than very well, and the lawyers who speak Spanish, from the Census Bureau survey (with margins of error).
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 62,266 ±2,148 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Rhode Island state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:RI:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 62,266 ±2,875 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Rhode Island state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-ri · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in Rhode Island have to meet, summarized from the official texts. The full rules, with quotes, are on the state page.
| Topic | Status | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Ads are filed. A copy of each print ad (yellow pages excepted), a recording of each radio ad and a videotape of each TV ad goes to Supreme Court Disciplinary Counsel before or within 48 hours of first use (7.2(b)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | Every ad must carry the name and office address of at least one lawyer or firm responsible for its content (7.2(d)). An ad that says no fee if no recovery must also say conspicuously whether the client owes costs or expenses regardless of outcome (7.2(e)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | The rules set no waiting period before contact with an accident or injury victim. Targeted written or electronic solicitation is allowed unless the person has asked not to be solicited or the lawyer knows the person's state makes sound judgment unlikely… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | A testimonial or endorsement must be identified as one, with payment disclosed and a note if the speaker is not an actual client; on TV the notes run throughout the ad (7.1(b)). Dramatizations must be identified (7.1(c)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer may not give anything of value for recommending the lawyer's services, except ad costs, the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit lawyer referral service, a practice sale, and non-exclusive reciprocal referrals with client notice… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | It is not unlawful for a person who is a party to a call, or who has the prior consent of one party, to record it, unless done to commit a criminal or tortious or other injurious act. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | P primary source | Text message advertisements to a Rhode Island resident's cell phone are prohibited unless an exception applies (for example, an existing business relationship with an option to opt out); a violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 per violation. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Rhode Island: lawyers must file their ads with a bar or court office, after the ad first runs. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | Lawyers in different firms may split a fee in proportion to the work each does, or if each takes joint responsibility for the representation. official source · referral v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23747113 · checked 2026-10-27 |
Prices and pay (national)
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs in legal services (seasonally adjusted) | 1,249 thousand jobs | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CES6054110001:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CPI-U: legal services | 230 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CUUR0000SEGC01:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: offices of lawyers | 338 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Download and cite
The rows behind this page, with every dataset, version, DOI, record id and check date.
Cite as: Probative Growth, The new-lawyer pipeline by jurisdiction: bar exam pass rates and new admissions, 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443); CFPB complaints about debt collection, credit reporting and debt management, by state and month v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731); FTC Consumer Sentinel reports by state: fraud, identity theft and imposter scams, 2024 Data Book v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741876); Legal deserts: law offices and lawyers per resident in every U.S. county v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430); Federal civil cases filed, by county of the plaintiff's residence, case type and year (Federal Judicial Center) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628); How long federal civil cases take: outcomes, class actions and pro se share by district, nature of suit and year v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969); Spanish-speaking demand vs Spanish-speaking lawyer supply, by state and metro v1.1.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758); Law firm size, solos and receipts, by state: Census SUSB 2022, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and Economic Census 2022 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997); Law offices, jobs and pay by county, with solo-practice counts: BLS QCEW, Census CBP and Nonemployer Statistics v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415); Lawyer, paralegal and legal-staff pay by state and metro (BLS OEWS) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840); Legal need by county: who may need a lawyer, from the American Community Survey v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886); Legal-services prices and jobs, monthly (BLS CPI, PPI and CES) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854); Unwanted-call and text-message complaints to the FCC, by state and month v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733010); CC BY 4.0. https://probativegrowth.com/markets/rhode-island/consumer-protection/
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How this page is built
Each figure is copied from one record of the dataset named with it, joined to this state and practice through the open practice and place crosswalk. Nothing is estimated. Methods, inputs and limits.