How to hire an associate general counsel

How to hire an associate general counsel, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate general counsel hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an associate general counsel job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate general counsel
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate general counsel do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The associate general counsel hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect associate general counsel also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of associate general counsel salaries for various roles:

   Type of Associate General Counsel	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate General Counsel	Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.	$37-98
   Contract Attorney	A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency... Show more	$28-75
   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... Show more	$30-100

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Legal Advice
   • Litigation
   • Legal Issues
   • Legal Support
   • Risk Management
   • HIPAA
   • Human Resources
   • Legal Research
   • In-House Counsel
   • Ethics
   • Legal Services
   • Liaising
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Vendor Contracts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage patent infringement litigation and third-party patent assertions, including the defense of two Japanese infringement suits to favorable conclusions.
   • Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
   • Research and provide guidance on issues such as the corporate practice of medicine and HIPAA regulations.
   • Draft contract language regarding HIPAA federal regulations.
   • Assist with securities issuance and affiliates trading notification and other regular announcements including drafting press releases and filings.
   • Review and advise in relation to federal securities laws/ rules, FINRA/BD rules/regulations, insurance statutes/regulations and consumer laws/regulations.

   More associate general counsel duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate general counsel job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An associate general counsel can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, associates general counsel' average salary in maine is 57% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level associates general counsel 61% less than senior-level associates general counsel.
   • Certifications. An associate general counsel with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an associate general counsel's salary.

   Average associate general counsel salary

   $128,245yearly

   $61.66 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate general counsel salary

   $79,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average associate general counsel salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$171,539	$82
   2	Texas	$135,868	$65
   3	New York	$134,985	$65
   4	District of Columbia	$131,309	$63
   5	Illinois	$130,460	$63
   6	Colorado	$126,912	$61
   7	Washington	$121,979	$59
   8	Massachusetts	$120,505	$58
   9	Arizona	$119,378	$57
   10	Utah	$117,160	$56
   11	Virginia	$113,380	$55
   12	North Carolina	$109,091	$52
   13	West Virginia	$106,030	$51
   14	Ohio	$104,522	$50
   15	Nebraska	$103,522	$50
   16	Georgia	$103,468	$50
   17	Rhode Island	$103,219	$50
   18	Indiana	$102,016	$49
   19	Iowa	$100,882	$49
   20	Minnesota	$100,238	$48

   Average associate general counsel salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Airbnb	$203,523	$97.85
   2	DoorDash	$200,400	$96.35
   3	MacArthur Foundation	$195,307	$93.90
   4	Roku	$192,566	$92.58	2
   5	Fairview Health Services	$189,048	$90.89
   6	Mercy Corps	$188,818	$90.78
   7	Meta	$186,333	$89.58	40
   8	Brookfield Properties	$178,718	$85.92
   9	Prospect Medical Holdings	$176,077	$84.65
   10	Artsy	$174,275	$83.79
   11	VF	$169,242	$81.37
   12	The Washington Post	$167,330	$80.45
   13	MetLife	$166,113	$79.86
   14	PBF Energy	$165,826	$79.72
   15	McKinsey & Company Inc	$165,109	$79.38
   16	Anheuser-Busch	$162,777	$78.26
   17	Tradeshift	$161,697	$77.74
   18	Seagate Technology	$161,621	$77.70
   19	Acadia Pharmaceuticals	$160,542	$77.18
   20	Inovalon	$158,564	$76.23	6

4. Writing an associate general counsel job description

   A job description for an associate general counsel role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an associate general counsel job description:

   Associate general counsel job description example

   Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.
   Job Purpose:
   To (a) provide business advice and legal counsel to the Company concerning the Company's product liability claims and litigation, and manage and administer relationships with outside counsel, databases and processes related thereto; (b) serve as a product safety and compliance advisor and provide practical, business-oriented legal advice and counsel, including appropriate risk assessment, to select functions throughout the Graco businesses with respect to the Company's products; (c) provide input to certain aspects of legal services budgets and manage activities against those budgets; and (d) directly or indirectly manage certain other compliance, litigation or regulatory professionals employed by the Company.
   
   Essential Duties:
   Claims and Litigation (60%) Provide legal advice with a practical, business orientation to assigned divisions, regions and corporate functions (including other Company attorneys) on matters related to product liability claims and litigation Understand the product technologies, designs and marketing strategies of the Company's division(s) Manage all product warranty and liability claims and litigation, including the activities and performance of outside counsel, and resolve them consistent with the Company's philosophy Develop strategies for and support management of other claims and litigation as matters arise from time to time; assist with IP-related claims and litigation at the direction of the Director of IPParticipate in accident site visits, accident investigations, witness preparation, depositions, trials, settlement conferences and other litigation-related activities Supervise the Company's Senior Litigation ParalegalProduct Safety and Compliance Duties (30%) Establish and maintain frameworks and policies, and identify and manage legal aspects of projects, for our product safety and compliance functions Provide product safety and compliance/regulatory legal advice with a practical, business orientation to various business units Provide product warranty advice to the various business units Review product brochures, manuals, catalogs, videos and other marketing and training materials to address product safety, trademarks, and truth in advertising Selectively participate in division, region and manufacturing operations reviews, annual sales meetings, and other division/region product-oriented activities as appropriate Support legal oversight of the Company's product safety and compliance function Other (10%) Work on special projects as assigned by the Executive Vice President and General Counsel from time to time Participate in M&A project diligence meetings, and assist in assigned legal diligence efforts related to the Company's M&A transactions Prepare and manage budgets for areas of responsibility Effectively utilize internal and external resources and cost drivers, and continuously improve administrative processes
   
   Requirements:
   Education/CertificationsBachelor's degree required; prefer business, engineering or related major Juris doctorate degree from an accredited law school required Membership in the bar of at least one state ExperienceAt least ten years of prior civil litigation experience, including products liability work Substantive trial experience Experience working with global manufacturing clients Experience in analyzing and drafting product warnings and safety manuals Experience managing other legal professionals and external resources KnowledgeComfortable acquiring knowledge and understanding of mechanical or electrical systems and assemblies General finance and accounting principles Contract drafting principles and related best practices Strong working knowledge of federal/national and local laws and regulations affecting U.S. manufacturers Deep familiarity with litigation procedures and practices Trade, export and sanctions compliance experience desired, but not required Skills/CompetenciesExcellent business judgment and strong negotiation skills Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels Strong analytical skills and detail orientation Results oriented; takes initiative High ethical standards Ability to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner Willingness and ability to take on new responsibilities Willingness and ability to travel
   Power to BeAt Graco, the Power to Be means providing the support, resources and freedom to pave your own way. Bring your unique attributes to the table, along with a commitment to being your best self, and you can be a part of a culture that rewards effort, celebrates uniqueness, and gives you the tools you need to succeed and become your best, fullest self along the way. Our culture empowers employees to chart their own career path. Our managers provide support and opportunities while offering freedom for employees to find their own Power to Be. Whether you decide to move up within the same department or expand to another cross-functional group, you will gain the well-rounded experience to succeed on your own terms.
   Graco has excellent opportunities available to individuals who want to be part of a fast-moving, growing company that is committed to quality, innovation and solving fluid handling problems for our customers. Graco is proud to be named a Best Place to Work by Fortune Magazine in 2016, 2018, 2019 & 2021. Graco offers attractive compensation, benefits and career development opportunities. Graco's comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, stock purchase plan, 401(k), tuition reimbursement and more.
   Proven Quality. Leading Technology. Launch your career with Graco!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find associates general counsel for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your associate general counsel job on Zippia to find and recruit associate general counsel candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with associate general counsel candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new associate general counsel

   Once you've found the associate general counsel candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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