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What is a counselor at law and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Shelley Sadin
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a counselor at law. For example, did you know that they make an average of $53.61 an hour? That's $111,508 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 80,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a counselor at law?

Shelley SadinShelley Sadin LinkedIn profile

Associate Dean of Professional and Career Development, Quinnipiac University

Communicating clearly, both orally and in writing.

It is identifying and analyzing legal and factual issues with an open, thoughtful, and creative mind.

Working collaboratively with clients, colleagues, opponents, and others involved in a case to solve problems.

Being meticulously ethical and professional in all interactions. This includes treating everyone involved in a matter with respect; recognizing and honoring their different backgrounds and perspectives.

Being self-disciplined, motivated, resilient, courageous, kind, and flexible.
ScoreCounselor At LawUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $111,508

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.36%

Black or African American 5.53%

Hispanic or Latino 7.75%

Unknown 4.37%

White 75.68%

Gender

female 36.46%

male 63.54%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Counselor at law career paths

Key steps to become a counselor at law

  1. Explore counselor at law education requirements

    Most common counselor at law degrees

    Doctorate

    44.1 %

    Bachelor's

    43.9 %

    Master's

    8.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific counselor at law skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Litigation16.07%
    Law Firm10.17%
    Legal Issues8.58%
    Legal Advice8.10%
    Legal Research7.69%
  3. Complete relevant counselor at law training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New counselors at law learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a counselor at law based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real counselor at law resumes.
  4. Research counselor at law duties and responsibilities

    • Manage annual HIPAA compliance obligations for three years by :.
    • Manage civil litigation caseload with a concentration in corporate finance, business formations, and entertainment law.
    • Create documents such as subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions and pre-trial agreements from dictation.
    • Participate in arbitration and mediation.
  5. Prepare your counselor at law resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your counselor at law resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a counselor at law resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable counselor at law resume templates

    Build a professional counselor at law resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your counselor at law resume.
    Counselor At Law Resume
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    Counselor At Law Resume
  6. Apply for counselor at law jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a counselor at law job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first counselor at law job

Zippi

Are you a counselor at law?

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Average counselor at law salary

The average counselor at law salary in the United States is $111,508 per year or $54 per hour. Counselor at law salaries range between $61,000 and $203,000 per year.

Average counselor at law salary
$111,508 Yearly
$53.61 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do counselors at law rate their job?

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Counselor at law reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019
Pros

As a civil litigation defense attorney I love the fact that every day is different. I enjoy assisting clients who have a problem to solve that problem in the most cost effective way, and how to avoid such problems in the future. I like that I basically set my own work schedule (other than court dates).

Cons

Billing hours. Unscrupulous opposing counsel. Occasional biased judges who do not follow the law.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.