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The differences between corporate attorneys and trial attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a corporate attorney and a trial attorney. Additionally, a corporate attorney has an average salary of $115,653, which is higher than the $110,340 average annual salary of a trial attorney.
The top three skills for a corporate attorney include law firm, litigation and real estate. The most important skills for a trial attorney are litigation, legal research, and property damage.
| Corporate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $115,653 | $110,340 |
| Hourly rate | $55.60 | $53.05 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 20,893 | 7,253 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A corporate attorney is a corporate lawyer who acts as an agent representing a corporation's legal matters. Corporate attorneys represent the business transactions and operations and help their clients prevent expensive litigation. They advise business enterprises on their legal obligations, responsibilities, and rights. It is part of their job to recommend clients on business structures and provide an evaluation of their ventures. The lawyers are expected to develop strong communication skills, negotiation skills, attention to detail, and analytical skills.
Trial attorneys are responsible for representing and defending clients in court. Trial attorneys must have excellent legal research skills to assess pieces of evidence and examining relevant judicial decisions to support the client's claims. A trial attorney should also provide legal advice for the clients and guide them through the legal procedures depending on the severity of the case. Trial attorneys must be able to develop trial strategies and arguments in the court to win the judge and the trial jury's decision.
Corporate attorneys and trial attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Average salary | $115,653 | $110,340 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $198,000 | Between $73,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a corporate attorney and a trial attorney in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 48% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between corporate attorneys' and trial attorneys' demographics:
| Corporate Attorney | Trial Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |