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The differences between criminal justice lawyers and legal counsels can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a criminal justice lawyer and a legal counsel. Additionally, a legal counsel has an average salary of $132,867, which is higher than the $49,977 average annual salary of a criminal justice lawyer.
The top three skills for a criminal justice lawyer include criminal justice, semester and public safety. The most important skills for a legal counsel are legal advice, legal issues, and litigation.
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Legal Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $49,977 | $132,867 |
| Hourly rate | $24.03 | $63.88 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 824 | 10,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A criminal justice lawyer is responsible for representing clients in court with criminal charges and defends them according to legal requirements and procedures. Criminal justice lawyers analyze the case by undergoing in-depth research and investigation that would support settlement claims. They reference laws and state regulations to identify the clients' options for case resolution. A criminal justice lawyer must have extensive knowledge of the legal industry, as well as possessing excellent critical-thinking skills to strategize appeals and negotiate pleas on trials.
A Legal Counsel supervises the legal aspects of a business. They give accurate and timely counsel to executives on a variety of legal topics, such as labor law, partnerships, or international ventures.
Criminal justice lawyers and legal counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Legal Counsel | |
| Average salary | $49,977 | $132,867 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $76,000 | Between $81,000 And $216,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a criminal justice lawyer and a legal counsel in terms of educational background:
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Legal Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Law |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between criminal justice lawyers' and legal counsels' demographics:
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | Legal Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% | Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |