How long does it take to become an Associate Attorney?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become an associate attorney. That is the time it takes to learn specific associate attorney skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a doctorate degree, then it takes 13 to 15 years years to become an associate attorney.

How To Become An Associate Attorney: What It Is and Career Path

What is an associate attorney and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Hanna Royce

The value of entertainment is that it can make education interesting to learn. One, in particular, is the famous legal TV series called Suits where we peek into the glamorous life and hustle livelihood of top notch legal attorneys. If you have watched it, the associate attorney is Mike Ross, a brilliant individual hired to practice law by hardcore macho legal attorney Harvey Spector, known for his/her photographic memory.

An associate attorney's role is in assisting attorneys with case arguments in court, writing briefs, as well as conducting legal research. They are involved in drafting agreements, providing legal counsel services, and handling litigation cases. Besides that, they also manage discovery requests and represent individuals in legal proceedings.

Employers require associate attorneys to have a bachelor's degree in law called Juris Doctor Degree. This role offers a rewarding career helping represent individuals and communities for the greater good. An associate attorney earns, on average, $87 per hour.

What general advice would you give to an associate attorney?

Hanna Royce

Assistant Dean of Career Services, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

Graduates should keep their network active. This includes them taking the time to re-engage with the members of their network on a regular basis and continuing to make new contacts. They should make it a priority to stay in touch with their classmates and professors. They might be looking for a new position in the future, and their legal network can help them locate opportunities through the hidden job market.

Many graduates are securing remote positions. To be successful in a remote environment, employees need to make the extra effort to communicate and stay connected with colleagues. Even when employees are telecommuting, they should dress as if they are going into the office. This can help them with productivity and illustrate their professionalism when meeting with colleagues or clients.

ScoreAssociate AttorneyUS Average

Salary

7.9

Avg. Salary $110,053

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 6.34%

Black or African American 5.51%

Hispanic or Latino 7.73%

Unknown 4.37%

White 75.75%

Gender

female 42.91%

male 57.09%

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

Key steps to become an associate attorney

Explore associate attorney education requirements

Most common associate attorney degrees

Doctorate

57.0 %

Bachelor's

37.8 %

Master's

4.1 %

Start to develop specific associate attorney skills

Skills	Percentages
Litigation	24.48%
Law Firm	9.77%
Discovery Responses	9.50%
Pre-Trial Motions	3.13%
Real Estate Transactions	2.88%

Complete relevant associate attorney training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New associate attorneys 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 associate attorney based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real associate attorney resumes.

Research associate attorney duties and responsibilities

Provide litigation support for general civil and probate litigation at trial and appellate levels.
Attend arbitration hearings, conduct and attend depositions, and negotiate and evaluate settlements in arbitration and litigation disputes.
Participate in all phases of commercial and construction litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Play instrumental role in all areas of litigation preparation, including authoring interrogatories, participating in depositions and preparing for trial.

Prepare your associate attorney resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your associate attorney 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 associate attorney resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable associate attorney resume templates

Build a professional associate attorney 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 associate attorney resume.

Apply for associate attorney jobs

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

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

How do associate attorneys rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Associate attorney reviews

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.

What is an associate attorney and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an associate attorney?

Associate attorney career paths

Key steps to become an associate attorney

Explore associate attorney education requirements

Most common associate attorney degrees

Start to develop specific associate attorney skills

Complete relevant associate attorney training and internships

Research associate attorney duties and responsibilities

Prepare your associate attorney resume

Choose from 10+ customizable associate attorney resume templates

Apply for associate attorney jobs

How did you land your first associate attorney job

Average associate attorney salary

How do associate attorneys rate their job?

Associate attorney reviews

Associate attorney FAQs

How long does it take to become an Associate Attorney?

Search for associate attorney jobs

Associate attorney jobs by state