Post job

What does an assistant attorney general do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

An assistant attorney general works for the federal government to help in the enforcement of law and administration of justice at the executive level. He/She or she heads judicial divisions such as civil rights, criminal, national security, and environment and natural resources. The position requires good interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills. The education requirements for the job include obtaining a bachelor's or master's degree in law, political science, criminal justice, and a related field.

On this page

Assistant attorney general responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real assistant attorney general resumes:

  • 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.
  • Investigate and prosecute Medicaid fraud, as well as patient abuse and neglect cases.
  • Provide mediation services for consumers in Nebraska.
  • Issue administrative subpoenas to obtain records from financial institutions and individuals.
  • Complete mediation training and facilitate successful resolutions to contest custody matters.
  • Participate in investigations of auction rate securities and finite insurance and reinsurance.
  • Conduct administrative actions and appeals in administrative actions for various units and administrations of DHMH.
  • Litigate employee appeals involving suspensions, terminations, and reductions-in-force pursuant to various collective bargaining agreements and union contracts.
  • Argue motions and appear at arbitrations on behalf of clients.
  • Practice include heavy motion work, depositions, arbitrations and trials.
  • Prepare and try DUI and misdemeanor drug cases.
  • Practice include contract preparation and review, probate, bankruptcy and personal injury matters.

Assistant attorney general skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Assistant Attorney Generals are proficient in Litigation, Legal Research, and State Agencies. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.

We break down the percentage of Assistant Attorney Generals that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Litigation, 17%

    Provide legal representation and litigation on behalf of the professional licensing boards assigned to the Business Standards Division.

  • Legal Research, 7%

    Supervised logistics, legal research and discovery compliance.

  • State Agencies, 6%

    Represent state agencies and its management personnel in settlement negotiations and draft settlement agreements.

  • Legal Advice, 5%

    Provided legal advice and disability awareness training to law enforcement officers and other state employees.

  • Appeals, 5%

    Conducted administrative actions and appeals in administrative actions for various units and administrations of DHMH.

  • Civil Litigation, 4%

    Conducted and drafted settlement negotiations for civil litigation matters, offered credit counseling, loan modification and short sale assistance.

"litigation," "legal research," and "state agencies" are among the most common skills that assistant attorney generals use at work. You can find even more assistant attorney general responsibilities below, including:

Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an assistant attorney general to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "lawyers interpret the law as it applies to their client’s case." Assistant attorney generals often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided analysis, trial preparation, and counsel on general liability, road hazard, and civil rights litigation. "

Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform assistant attorney general duties is interpersonal skills. Assistant attorney generals responsibilities require that "lawyers must build relationships with current and prospective clients, as well as with their colleagues and other members of the legal community." Assistant attorney generals also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "leveraged interpersonal skills to explain to juries complex legal issues and obtain convictions. "

Problem-solving skills. assistant attorney generals are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to assistant attorney general responsibilities, because "lawyers must evaluate information to propose viable solutions, mediate disputes, and reach agreements or settlements for their clients." An assistant attorney general resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "directed and determined litigation and resolution strategy for consumer law issues. "

Research skills. A big part of what assistant attorney generals do relies on "research skills." You can see how essential it is to assistant attorney general responsibilities because "lawyers need to find laws and regulations that apply to a specific matter in order to provide appropriate legal advice for their clients." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical assistant attorney general tasks: "conduct research-oriented litigation involving purely legal issues of statutory and constitutional interpretation. "

Most common assistant attorney general skills

Choose from 10+ customizable assistant attorney general resume templates

Build a professional assistant attorney general resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assistant attorney general resume.
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume
Assistant Attorney General Resume

Compare different assistant attorney generals

Assistant attorney general vs. Legal extern

Legal externs are law students who took the opportunity to do on-the-job training at a law firm. Instead of monetary compensation, they receive academic credits. Legal externs primarily engage in job shadowing. They are usually assigned mentors in the law firm, and they would shadow their mentors in their daily routines. Legal externs are exposed to the actual work done by lawyers. Legal externs are involved in cases, providing insights while building a solid case for their client, giving advice to clients, and representing clients under the supervision of the actual lawyers in the firm. They are usually not given administrative or clerical tasks since they are expected to do more tasks directly related to being a lawyer.

If we compare the average assistant attorney general annual salary with that of a legal extern, we find that legal externs typically earn a $52,103 lower salary than assistant attorney generals make annually.Even though assistant attorney generals and legal externs are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require litigation, legal research, and legal advice in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between assistant attorney generals and legal extern. For instance, assistant attorney general responsibilities require skills such as "state agencies," "appeals," "federal courts," and "state courts." Whereas a legal extern is skilled in "legal intern," "legal memos," "intellectual property," and "pre-trial motions." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Legal externs really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $69,693. Comparatively, assistant attorney generals tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $71,522.On average, legal externs reach similar levels of education than assistant attorney generals. Legal externs are 2.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 37.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant attorney general vs. Housing counselor

A Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.

Housing counselor positions earn lower pay than assistant attorney general roles. They earn a $20,611 lower salary than assistant attorney generals per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Assistant attorney generals and housing counselors both require similar skills like "litigation," "legal research," and "legal advice" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that assistant attorney general responsibilities requires skills like "state agencies," "appeals," "federal courts," and "administrative law." But a housing counselor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "in-house counsel," "social work," "regulatory compliance," and "crisis intervention."

Housing counselors earn a lower average salary than assistant attorney generals. But housing counselors earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $91,338. Additionally, assistant attorney generals earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $71,522 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Housing counselors tend to reach similar levels of education than assistant attorney generals. In fact, they're 4.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 37.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant attorney general vs. Lawyer

A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.

An average lawyer eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of assistant attorney generals. The difference in salaries amounts to lawyers earning a $16,467 higher average salary than assistant attorney generals.Using the responsibilities included on assistant attorney generals and lawyers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "litigation," "legal research," and "legal advice.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, assistant attorney generals are more likely to have skills like "state agencies," "appeals," "state courts," and "federal agencies." But a lawyer is more likely to have skills like "law firm," "civil law," "intellectual property," and "juris."

Lawyers typically earn higher educational levels compared to assistant attorney generals. Specifically, they're 10.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 29.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant attorney general vs. Litigation associate

A Litigation Associate offers legal advice for individuals involved in lawsuits and represents them in court. They prepare pleading, collect evidence, defend depositions, and manage the client database.

Litigation associates tend to earn a higher pay than assistant attorney generals by an average of $12,775 per year.While their salaries may vary, assistant attorney generals and litigation associates both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "litigation," "legal research," and "appeals. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between assistant attorney generals and litigation associates, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an assistant attorney general might have more use for skills like "state agencies," "legal advice," "administrative law," and "federal agencies." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of litigation associates require skills like "law firm," "discovery motions," "insurance coverage," and "intellectual property. "

Litigation associates enjoy the best pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $151,203. For comparison, assistant attorney generals earn the highest salary in the government industry.The average resume of litigation associates showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to assistant attorney generals. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.4%.

Types of assistant attorney general

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.