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The differences between defense attorneys and lawyers 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 lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, 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 a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| Defense Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,209 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $49.62 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,557 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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 lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
Defense attorneys and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Defense Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $103,209 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $152,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Taylor English Duma | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a defense attorney and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Defense Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between defense attorneys' and lawyers' demographics:
| Defense Attorney | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |