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The differences between defense attorneys and associate 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 defense attorney and an associate attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $103,209 average annual salary of a defense attorney.
The top three skills for a defense attorney include litigation, insurance defense and law firm. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| Defense Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $103,209 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $49.62 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,557 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A defense attorney serves as an advocate for individuals accused of committing crimes, representing and defending them at court to prove their innocence or negotiate plea bargains. As a defense attorney, they are responsible for studying everything about the case, preparing legal documents, gathering evidence, conducting interviews with the client and potential witnesses, coordinating with paralegals, and developing different strategies to defend the client during the court proceedings. They also provide counseling to clients, offer legal advice, give them updates about the case, and help them understand the procedures and risks.
An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.
Defense attorneys and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Defense Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $103,209 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $152,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Taylor English Duma | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a defense attorney and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| Defense Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between defense attorneys' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| Defense Attorney | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |