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Attorney general vs general counsel

The differences between attorneys general and general counsels can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an attorney general and a general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $101,302 average annual salary of an attorney general.

The top three skills for an attorney general include legal advice, litigation and appeals. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.

Attorney general vs general counsel overview

Attorney GeneralGeneral Counsel
Yearly salary$101,302$125,248
Hourly rate$48.70$60.22
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs47,81350,275
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does an attorney general do?

Attorney generals are one of the most important legal advisers for their government, state, or country. They provide legal advice and may be called on to advise ordinary citizens who may or may not be within the country's jurisdiction. Their power varies depending on the laws of the state or country. Most of them have special executive power related to the enforcement of laws. Attorney Generals also provide legal services to state departments and agencies.

What does a general counsel do?

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.

Attorney general vs general counsel salary

Attorneys general and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.

Attorney GeneralGeneral Counsel
Average salary$101,302$125,248
Salary rangeBetween $65,000 And $157,000Between $75,000 And $208,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyLewis Brisbois Bisgaard & SmithMartin's Point Health Care
Best paying industryGovernmentFinance

Differences between attorney general and general counsel education

There are a few differences between an attorney general and a general counsel in terms of educational background:

Attorney GeneralGeneral Counsel
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Attorney general vs general counsel demographics

Here are the differences between attorneys general' and general counsels' demographics:

Attorney GeneralGeneral Counsel
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 51.6% Female, 48.4%Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.4% 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between attorney general and general counsel duties and responsibilities

Attorney general example responsibilities.

  • Perform extensive trial litigation, facilitate contract administrations, negotiations, and arrange mediation and counseling.
  • Draft subpoenas and participate in investigations.
  • Prepare subpoenas and arrange for process-servers and couriers.
  • Prepare and participate as first chair at various administrative and arbitration hearings.
  • Assist in preparing and responding to civil miscellaneous appeals, criminal miscellaneous appeals.
  • Investigate and assist in the preparation of litigation cases concerning fraud by officers of charitable organizations.
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General counsel example responsibilities.

  • Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
  • Review subpoenas and attorney letters for compliance with HIPAA and institutional guidelines and coordinate non-party depositions as needed.
  • Prepare dozens of complex commercial transactions in connection to equity and debt securities offerings.
  • Handle regulatory, compliance, licensing, and registration matters for securities broker- dealer and register investment adviser.
  • Supervise commercial litigation, arbitration and claims, including case strategy, pleadings preparation, hearings, depositions and settlement negotiations.
  • Supervise and train unit charge with securing patient medical records, ensuring compliance with Medicare and HIPAA regulations and accreditation standards.
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Attorney general vs general counsel skills

Common attorney general skills
  • Legal Advice, 24%
  • Litigation, 24%
  • Appeals, 13%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Legal Issues, 4%
  • Mediation, 3%
Common general counsel skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Issues, 8%
  • Legal Advice, 8%
  • Intellectual Property, 5%
  • Risk Management, 4%
  • Ethics, 4%