By Casey Sullivan

Jan 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. legal services sector gained 1,000 jobs in December, even as the national unemployment rate remained at 7.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The new legal sector positions contributed to an overall increase of 155,000 jobs in the U.S. last month, the bureau said, while the employment outlook for other professional and business services jobs showed little change.

The last time more people were employed in the legal sector was in June 2009, according to the bureau. Employment also increased in other industries, including health care, food services and drinking places, construction and manufacturing, according to the bureau.

The bureau also adjusted downward its preliminary estimates for legal services jobs in November to reflect a decline of 200 jobs. The bureau had previously reported an increase of 200 jobs in November.

The legal job growth came despite a steady wave of consolidation throughout the legal industry in 2012, when major U.S. law firms such as SNR Denton, Fulbright & Jaworski and K&L Gates embarked on mergers with domestic and foreign law firms.

The Federal Reserve's Beige Book on economic conditions, released on Nov. 28, expressed optimism for professional services firms and the legal sector. The report showed that business in professional services firms and the legal sector had shown signs of growth in cities such as Dallas, St. Louis and Minneapolis.