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What is an assistant attorney general and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

The assistant attorney general heads the division of federal government responsible for administering justice at the executive level and enforcing the Law. This puts you in charge of pursuing those who go against the Law and also shape the national policy. You are expected to give legal advice to the government and also represent the state in criminal matters.

Primarily, you are to work under an attorney general, who will assign civil and criminal cases to you as an assistant. Insight and in-depth about constitutional Law and criminal Law will be an added advantage to you. You are also expected to work closely with crime victims and law enforcement agencies. Keep in mind that you will head divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice, including tax division, civil rights division, antitrust division, and office of justice program.

Excellent work ethic, excellent writing ability, technical and negotiation skills are required skills for an assistant attorney general. The average salary of an assistant attorney general annually is $52,000. The educational qualification is a bachelor's degree in Law or other related disciplines.

ScoreAssistant Attorney GeneralUS Average
Salary
7.6

Avg. Salary $99,341

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.24%

Black or African American 5.40%

Hispanic or Latino 7.62%

Unknown 4.36%

White 76.08%

Gender

female 48.78%

male 51.22%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Assistant attorney general career paths

Key steps to become an assistant attorney general

  1. Explore assistant attorney general education requirements

    Most common assistant attorney general degrees

    Doctorate

    56.0 %

    Bachelor's

    38.1 %

    Master's

    4.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific assistant attorney general skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Litigation17.48%
    Legal Research7.07%
    State Agencies5.76%
    Legal Advice5.27%
    Appeals4.94%
  3. Complete relevant assistant attorney general training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant attorney generals learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant attorney general based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant attorney general resumes.
  4. Research assistant attorney general duties and responsibilities

    • Manage, organize and analyze documents and information produce pursuant to subpoenas.
    • Represent state agencies and employees in civil litigation and administrative hearings while performing extensive motion preparation and pretrial discovery.
    • General trial and appellate counsel for major civil litigation involving state and federal constitutional questions and matters of statutory construction.
    • Investigate and prosecute health care providers who defraud Medicaid and Medicare.
  5. Prepare your assistant attorney general resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant attorney general resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant attorney general resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable assistant attorney general resume templates

    Build a professional assistant attorney general resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assistant attorney general resume.
    Assistant Attorney General Resume
    Assistant Attorney General Resume
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    Assistant Attorney General Resume
    Assistant Attorney General Resume
    Assistant Attorney General Resume
    Assistant Attorney General Resume
    Assistant Attorney General Resume
  6. Apply for assistant attorney general jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an assistant attorney general job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first assistant attorney general job

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Average assistant attorney general salary

The average assistant attorney general salary in the United States is $99,341 per year or $48 per hour. Assistant attorney general salaries range between $64,000 and $152,000 per year.

Average assistant attorney general salary
$99,341 Yearly
$47.76 hourly

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Assistant attorney general reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019
Pros

As a civil litigation defense attorney I love the fact that every day is different. I enjoy assisting clients who have a problem to solve that problem in the most cost effective way, and how to avoid such problems in the future. I like that I basically set my own work schedule (other than court dates).

Cons

Billing hours. Unscrupulous opposing counsel. Occasional biased judges who do not follow the law.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.