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The differences between defense attorneys and contract 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 a contract attorney. Additionally, a defense attorney has an average salary of $103,209, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a defense attorney include litigation, insurance defense and law firm. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Defense Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $103,209 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $49.62 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,557 | 13,592 |
| 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.
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
Defense attorneys and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Defense Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $103,209 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $152,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Taylor English Duma | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a defense attorney and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Defense Attorney | Contract 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 contract attorneys' demographics:
| Defense Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| 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, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |