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The differences between attorney law clerks and summer associates 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 $42,349 average annual salary of a summer associate.
The top three skills for an attorney law clerk include litigation, discovery responses and settlement agreements. The most important skills for a summer associate are powerpoint, litigation, and financial models.
| Attorney Law Clerk | Summer Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $112,527 | $42,349 |
| Hourly rate | $54.10 | $20.36 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 72,641 | 7,546 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
Summer associates are law students hired seasonally by law firms. The aim is for future lawyers to be exposed to the practical aspects of a firm. Typically, this program lasts for nine weeks, beginning in May and running through July. Summer associates are expected to be friendly and kind to people, preserve company reputation, support other associates, and perform legal tasks appropriately.
Attorney law clerks and summer associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Attorney Law Clerk | Summer Associate | |
| Average salary | $112,527 | $42,349 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $174,000 | Between $22,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Reed Smith | Crowell & Moring |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an attorney law clerk and a summer associate in terms of educational background:
| Attorney Law Clerk | Summer Associate | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between attorney law clerks' and summer associates' demographics:
| Attorney Law Clerk | Summer Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 9% |