What does an associate attorney do?

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.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an associate attorney are more likely to require skills like "discovery responses," "pre-trial motions," "probate," and "insurance coverage." On the other hand, a job as a legal consultant requires skills like "regulatory compliance," "financial statements," "client relationships," and "legal services." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

A litigation paralegal is a specialist who is responsible for assisting attorneys throughout the trial process. On the plaintiff side, litigation paralegals conduct initial client interviews and legal research for case preparations. They assist with the preliminary examinations of witnesses and jury selection in the courtroom. Litigation paralegals often assist attorneys with case settlements and help identify issues for appeals. They must also possess excellent skills in verbal and written communication and should have great attention in detail.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real associate attorney resumes. While associate attorney responsibilities can utilize skills like "pre-trial motions," "real estate transactions," "intellectual property," and "insurance coverage," litigation paralegals use skills like "trial preparation," "mediation," "excellent organizational," and "powerpoint."

Law clerks are employees in a legal firm who handle clerical tasks for the office. They handle the office's official phone lines, answering incoming calls, and making outgoing calls. They also field office correspondence, often receiving incoming mail and distributing them to their addressees. They manage office documents and ensure that they are correctly filed and labeled in their respective storage bins. Law clerks help make office life more comfortable because they make sure that the office is running well. They also manage appointments and office calendars.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, associate attorneys are more likely to have skills like "insurance coverage," "due diligence," "legal advice," and "motion practice." But a law clerk is more likely to have skills like "legal memos," "summary judgment," "family law," and "lexisnexis."

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.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between associate attorneys and lawyers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an associate attorney might have more use for skills like "discovery responses," "pre-trial motions," "real estate transactions," and "insurance coverage." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of lawyers require skills like "real estate," "civil law," "trial preparation," and "legal support. "