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The differences between defense attorneys and document review 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 document review attorney. Additionally, a defense attorney has an average salary of $103,209, which is higher than the $81,181 average annual salary of a document review attorney.
The top three skills for a defense attorney include litigation, insurance defense and law firm. The most important skills for a document review attorney are litigation, complex litigation, and e-discovery software.
| Defense Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $103,209 | $81,181 |
| Hourly rate | $49.62 | $39.03 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,557 | 9,393 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 60% |
| 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 Document Review Attorney reviews various types of legal documents, such as contract and employment law, intellectual property, and commercial litigation, to identify any areas of risk or information that may need correction.
Defense attorneys and document review attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Defense Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Average salary | $103,209 | $81,181 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $152,000 | Between $48,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Taylor English Duma | Cooley |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a defense attorney and a document review attorney in terms of educational background:
| Defense Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between defense attorneys' and document review attorneys' demographics:
| Defense Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3% |
| 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |