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The differences between attorney law clerks and attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an attorney law clerk has an average salary of $112,527, which is higher than the $109,476 average annual salary of an attorney.
The top three skills for an attorney law clerk include litigation, discovery responses and settlement agreements. The most important skills for an attorney are litigation, legal research, and law firm.
| Attorney Law Clerk | Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $112,527 | $109,476 |
| Hourly rate | $54.10 | $52.63 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 72,641 | 10,991 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
An Attorney Law Clerk helps attorneys by assembling and organizing information for legal documents. They research and analyze law sources to prepare drafts of briefs or arguments for review and approval.
Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.
Attorney law clerks and attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Attorney Law Clerk | Attorney | |
| Average salary | $112,527 | $109,476 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $174,000 | Between $69,000 And $172,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | White Plains, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Reed Smith | Thompson Coburn |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between an attorney law clerk and an attorney in terms of educational background:
| Attorney Law Clerk | Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between attorney law clerks' and attorneys' demographics:
| Attorney Law Clerk | Attorney | |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% | Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 54.3% 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, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |