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Attorney's assistant vs legal assistant

The differences between attorney's assistants and legal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an attorney's assistant and a legal assistant. Additionally, an attorney's assistant has an average salary of $52,855, which is higher than the $42,387 average annual salary of a legal assistant.

The top three skills for an attorney's assistant include law firm, litigation and pleadings. The most important skills for a legal assistant are litigation, legal correspondence, and discovery responses.

Attorney's assistant vs legal assistant overview

Attorney's AssistantLegal Assistant
Yearly salary$52,855$42,387
Hourly rate$25.41$20.38
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs6,4259,560
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

Attorney's assistant vs legal assistant salary

Attorney's assistants and legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Attorney's AssistantLegal Assistant
Average salary$52,855$42,387
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $78,000Between $30,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Roberts Markel Weinberg Butler Hailey Pc
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between attorney's assistant and legal assistant education

There are a few differences between an attorney's assistant and a legal assistant in terms of educational background:

Attorney's AssistantLegal Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorLawLegal Support Services
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Attorney's assistant vs legal assistant demographics

Here are the differences between attorney's assistants' and legal assistants' demographics:

Attorney's AssistantLegal Assistant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 30.3% Female, 69.7%Male, 17.4% Female, 82.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between attorney's assistant and legal assistant duties and responsibilities

Attorney's assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage active caseload of labor arbitrations.
  • Assist patent attorneys by managing invention disclosure documentation and relate correspondence with outside counsel and USPTO.
  • Draft jury demands, discovery responses, subpoenas, and closing letters for the attorney's cases.
  • Draft legal complaints, summons and interrogatories.
  • Handle significant criminal, juvenile and probate cases.
  • Experience with presentation of software such as PowerPoint.
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Legal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Complete accounting and payroll functions.- gather and process client documents.- manage daily operations of office.
  • Manage document production with various internal departments for response to DCAA investigations and third party subpoenas.
  • Assist patent attorneys by managing invention disclosure documentation and relate correspondence with outside counsel and USPTO.
  • Relocate temporarily to Chicago, Illinois to facilitate and manage electronic discovery exchange in preparation for arbitration.
  • Perform administrative tasks for managing partner and trial attorney at a medical malpractice litigation firm including daily transcription and stenography.
  • Gather and prepare documents for binders/notebooks for depositions, arbitration, hearings/trial; manage incoming document production mostly for litigation purposes.
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Attorney's assistant vs legal assistant skills

Common attorney's assistant skills
  • Law Firm, 10%
  • Litigation, 8%
  • Pleadings, 7%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Trial Preparation, 6%
  • Expense Reports, 5%
Common legal assistant skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Correspondence, 10%
  • Discovery Responses, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Law Firm, 5%
  • Subpoenas, 5%