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Assistant general counsel vs staff attorney

The differences between assistants general counsel and staff attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant general counsel and a staff attorney. Additionally, an assistant general counsel has an average salary of $141,227, which is higher than the $110,028 average annual salary of a staff attorney.

The top three skills for an assistant general counsel include legal advice, litigation and legal issues. The most important skills for a staff attorney are litigation, legal services, and juris.

Assistant general counsel vs staff attorney overview

Assistant General CounselStaff Attorney
Yearly salary$141,227$110,028
Hourly rate$67.90$52.90
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs58,50875,402
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 51%Doctoral Degree, 56%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does an assistant general counsel do?

An assistant general counsel helps the general counsel in giving professional legal services to an entity, such as protecting its legal affairs. He/She or she also helps stakeholders such as legal and executive managers and board of directors for the efficient execution of their roles. The position requires essential skills such as good research, analytical, interpersonal skills, and a keen eye for details. The education requirements for the job include obtaining a bachelor's or master's degree in law, business, political science, and a related field.

What does a staff attorney do?

Staff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.

Assistant general counsel vs staff attorney salary

Assistants general counsel and staff attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant General CounselStaff Attorney
Average salary$141,227$110,028
Salary rangeBetween $93,000 And $214,000Between $69,000 And $173,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyCotyNelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Best paying industryUtilitiesProfessional

Differences between assistant general counsel and staff attorney education

There are a few differences between an assistant general counsel and a staff attorney in terms of educational background:

Assistant General CounselStaff Attorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 51%Doctoral Degree, 56%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Assistant general counsel vs staff attorney demographics

Here are the differences between assistants general counsel' and staff attorneys' demographics:

Assistant General CounselStaff Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 59.5% Female, 40.5%Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between assistant general counsel and staff attorney duties and responsibilities

Assistant general counsel example responsibilities.

  • Manage debt and equity offerings and relate disclosure under applicable state and federal securities laws.
  • Manage the litigation referral process; work with examiners and investigators preparing subpoenas, taking witness testimony and reviewing documentary evidence.
  • Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
  • Draft and assist in the implementation of data use authorizations with all clinical trial sites to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations.
  • Advise clients on many legal matters in pharmacy services administration, audits, HIPAA, and health care issues in general.
  • Coordinate defective pricing reviews, post award audits and conduct internal ethics investigations.
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Staff attorney example responsibilities.

  • Generate an internal memorandum exploring VAWA and special immigrant juvenile cases that lead to the establishment of a new clinic program.
  • Provide statewide training for attorneys and advocates on education law and also responsible for major impact education litigation and appeals.
  • Create and conduct workshops on e-discovery, privilege, FMLA, ADA, and FLSA
  • Conduct internal FLSA (wage and hour) compliance and re-classification audits for pre-complaint resolution.
  • General practice attorney handling primarily bankruptcy, domestic relations and criminal cases, preparation of wills and trusts and probate.
  • Draft wills, powers of attorney, probate estate administration filings, divorce filings, caregiver contracts, and property deeds.
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Assistant general counsel vs staff attorney skills

Common assistant general counsel skills
  • Legal Advice, 10%
  • Litigation, 10%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Legal Support, 5%
  • Legal Research, 5%
  • Legal Services, 4%
Common staff attorney skills
  • Litigation, 17%
  • Legal Services, 8%
  • Juris, 7%
  • Legal Advice, 6%
  • Appeals, 4%
  • Administrative Agencies, 4%