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The differences between associate attorneys and legal consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate attorney and a legal consultant. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $75,024 average annual salary of a legal consultant.
The top three skills for an associate attorney include litigation, law firm and discovery responses. The most important skills for a legal consultant are litigation, regulatory compliance, and legal research.
| Associate Attorney | Legal Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $110,053 | $75,024 |
| Hourly rate | $52.91 | $36.07 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,183 | 16,118 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.
A legal consultant uses legal practice knowledge to enhance a law company's efficiency and profitability. Besides advising on the right solutions for customer productivity, marketing and development strategies, legal consultants also actively manage risks by consulting on program and legal-related issues. They help the parent law firm meet its objectives by analyzing problems and developing solutions. Other than negotiating, drafting, and reviewing legal documents, legal consultants also conduct legal research and analyze the right securities, insurance, and retirement plans.
Associate attorneys and legal consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Attorney | Legal Consultant | |
| Average salary | $110,053 | $75,024 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $170,000 | Between $40,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Schiff Hardin | Alston & Bird |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an associate attorney and a legal consultant in terms of educational background:
| Associate Attorney | Legal Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between associate attorneys' and legal consultants' demographics:
| Associate Attorney | Legal Consultant | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% | Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |