In a large metropolitan market, it is relatively easy to set up a law office. The ease of entry explains why you will find hundreds of lawyers listed in the New York City phone book. Each lawyer is a close substitute for another but with slight differences. Which of the following market structures best describes the one in which lawyers operate? 1) pure competition
2) perfect monopoly
3) monopolistic competition
4) oligopoly
5) none of the above

1

Explanation:

A perfect competition is characterized by many buyers and sellers of homogenous goods and services. Market prices are set by the forces of demand and supply. There are no barriers to entry or exit of firms into the industry.  

In the long run, firms earn zero economic profit.  If in the short run firms are earning economic profit, in the long run firms would enter into the industry. This would drive economic profit to zero.  

Also, if in the short run, firms are earning economic loss, in the long run, firms would exit the industry until economic profit falls to zero.  

In a perfect monopoly, there is only one firm operating in the industry

In a  monopolistic competition, differentiated products are sold

In an oligopoly, there are few large firms