What does an attorney at law do?
An Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.
Attorney at law responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real attorney at law resumes:
- Manage a civil practice focuse primarily on representing claimants in securities arbitration proceedings.
- Support tort, real estate, probate, appellate, and business litigation with outside counsel in California.
- Sole practice of law in the areas of corporate, juvenile matters, probate, real estate, securities and taxation.
- File garnishment actions; defend tenants, landlords and assort other parties in proceedings in small claims and landlord tenant courts.
- Document review for internal investigation of FDA filing practices
- Advise technical, scientific and regulatory personnel on FDA legal requirements.
- Compose dozens of arbitration decisions involving employment disputes between employers and unions.
- Represent clients in business disputes as principal trial attorney and provide litigation management services to clients in federal patent infringement actions.
- Experience with financing and security agreements, limit partnership syndication, tax-free generational stock transfer and brokerage commission litigation and mediation.
- Represent individual and institutional clients in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate acquisition, financing and leasing and foreclosure.
- Handle all aspects of law practice in the areas of real estate, matrimonial, bankruptcy and landlord/tenant law.
- Sole practitioner responsible for the day to day operations of a small CPA firm.
- Provide consulting service to other CPA firms, including auditing, tax and write-up work.
- Represent individual and institutional clients in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate acquisition, financing and leasing and foreclosure.
Attorney at law skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Attorneys At Law are proficient in Litigation, Law Firm, and Legal Research. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Problem-solving skills, and Research skills.
We break down the percentage of Attorneys At Law that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Litigation, 23%
Experience with financing and security agreements, limited partnership syndication, tax-free generational stock transfer and brokerage commission litigation and mediation.
- Law Firm, 10%
Represent high volume of clients independently at 4-member law firm with emphasis on family law, divorce and all related matters.
- Legal Research, 7%
Structured complex contracts, performed legal research and analysis, certifying regulatory compliance.
- Juris, 4%
Work with Word, Microsoft Outlook and JURIS computer programs
- Real Estate Transactions, 3%
Participate in contract negotiations and counsel clients regarding the legal consequences of real estate transactions for residential and commercial property.
- Trial Preparation, 3%
Provided research, factual investigation, medical records review, document management and trial preparation.
Common skills that an attorney at law uses to do their job include "litigation," "law firm," and "legal research." You can find details on the most important attorney at law responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for an attorney at law to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what attorneys at law do because "lawyers interpret the law as it applies to their client’s case." Additionally, an attorney at law resume shows how attorneys at law use analytical skills: "consulted on corporate projects involving electronic data collection, recovery, analysis, and litigation support. "
Problem-solving skills. Many attorney at law duties rely on problem-solving skills. "lawyers must evaluate information to propose viable solutions, mediate disputes, and reach agreements or settlements for their clients.," so an attorney at law will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways attorney at law responsibilities rely on problem-solving skills: "handle all phases of the litigation process for clients, including alternative dispute resolution. "
Research skills. attorneys at law are also known for research skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to attorney at law responsibilities, because "lawyers need to find laws and regulations that apply to a specific matter in order to provide appropriate legal advice for their clients." An attorney at law resume example shows how research skills is used in the workplace: "researched legal issues and assisted with litigation document production. "
Interpersonal skills. While "interpersonal skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to attorney at law responsibilities. Much of what an attorney at law does relies on this skill, seeing as "lawyers must build relationships with current and prospective clients, as well as with their colleagues and other members of the legal community." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of attorneys at law: "demonstrated effective interpersonal skills through working closely with office of general counsel and administrative appeals judges. "
The three companies that hire the most attorney at laws are:
- Robert Half9 attorneys at law jobs
- Price Benowitz6 attorneys at law jobs
- Continental4 attorneys at law jobs
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Compare different attorneys at law
Attorney at law vs. Housing counselor
A Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, attorney at law responsibilities require skills like "law firm," "juris," "real estate transactions," and "probate." Meanwhile a typical housing counselor has skills in areas such as "in-house counsel," "social work," "regulatory compliance," and "crisis intervention." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Housing counselors earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $91,338. On the other hand, attorneys at law are paid more in the retail industry with an average salary of $120,546.The education levels that housing counselors earn slightly differ from attorneys at law. In particular, housing counselors are 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an attorney at law. Additionally, they're 24.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Attorney at law vs. Council member
A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that attorney at law responsibilities requires skills like "litigation," "law firm," "legal research," and "juris." But a council member might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "public policy," "finance committee," "community outreach," and "alumni."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Council members tend to reach higher levels of education than attorneys at law. In fact, they're 7.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 24.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Attorney at law vs. General counsel
A law internship is a program that is designed for law students to give them valuable insight into the professional lives of attorneys and judges. Law interns need to understand and observe what being a lawyer involves. They are required to conduct research and present it to their superiors for case preparations. They must assist their senior lawyers in organizing all of their legal paperwork that includes case files, evidence records, and legal documents. Law interns are also required to be present in the courtroom to assist lawyers and experience actual courtroom proceedings.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an attorney at law is likely to be skilled in "trial preparation," "criminal law," "estate planning," and "criminal defense," while a typical general counsel is skilled in "risk management," "ethics," "human resources," and "legal support."
General counsels earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $135,018. Comparatively, attorneys at law have the highest earning potential in the retail industry, with an average salary of $120,546.When it comes to education, general counsels tend to earn similar degree levels compared to attorneys at law. In fact, they're 1.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 9.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Attorney at law vs. Law internship
Types of attorney at law
Updated January 8, 2025
