Post job

Document review attorney vs assistant counsel

The differences between document review attorneys and assistant 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 document review attorney and an assistant counsel. Additionally, a document review attorney has an average salary of $81,181, which is higher than the $61,229 average annual salary of an assistant counsel.

The top three skills for a document review attorney include litigation, complex litigation and e-discovery software. The most important skills for an assistant counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.

Document review attorney vs assistant counsel overview

Document Review AttorneyAssistant Counsel
Yearly salary$81,181$61,229
Hourly rate$39.03$29.44
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs9,3938,574
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a document review attorney do?

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.

What does an assistant counsel do?

Assistant counsels are legal professionals who research and analyze various laws so they can apply them to the different legal issues that arose in a corporation. These counsels must develop an agency-wide client privacy policy and manage responses to all matters involving subpoenas and warrants. They advise other departments for legal claims related to the right of privacy and publicity as well as defamation. Assistant counsels are also required to act as labor attorneys for employees facing internal discrimination suits while dealing with FMLA, ERISA, and HIPAA issues.

Document review attorney vs assistant counsel salary

Document review attorneys and assistant counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.

Document Review AttorneyAssistant Counsel
Average salary$81,181$61,229
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $134,000Between $36,000 And $103,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyCooleyBaltimore City Public Schools
Best paying industryProfessionalGovernment

Differences between document review attorney and assistant counsel education

There are a few differences between a document review attorney and an assistant counsel in terms of educational background:

Document Review AttorneyAssistant Counsel
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityDuke University

Document review attorney vs assistant counsel demographics

Here are the differences between document review attorneys' and assistant counsels' demographics:

Document Review AttorneyAssistant Counsel
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 56.7% Female, 43.3%Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7%
Race ratioBlack 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%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%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between document review attorney and assistant counsel duties and responsibilities

Document review attorney example responsibilities.

  • Advise client in requirements to achieve and maintain critical FCPA compliance.
  • Manage privilege log development (including extensive line drafting) and final production processes consistent with technical litigation requirements.
  • Complete electronic discovery review and analyze whether the documents are responsive, privilege or non responsive for pending products liability litigation
  • Draft claims of invalidity, injunctions, and appeals.
  • Support litigation teams on various matters, including antitrust and DOJ investigations.
  • Examine discovery production to determine compliance with HIPAA and make redactions when appropriate.
  • Show more

Assistant counsel example responsibilities.

  • Manage outside counsel relate to mortgage fraud recovery litigation, including cost management, litigation strategy and settlement terms.
  • Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
  • Sell, consult and demonstrate office automation and conveyance software technology.
  • Respond to lawsuits, subpoenas, as well as draft any need legal documents.
  • Assist in drafting subpoenas, search warrants and preservation letters for social media content and mobile devices.
  • Design, develop, and implement cost-effectively litigation strategies in order to secure convictions and facilitate preferential sentencing negotiations.
  • Show more

Document review attorney vs assistant counsel skills

Common document review attorney skills
  • Litigation, 32%
  • Complex Litigation, 7%
  • E-Discovery Software, 6%
  • Law Firm, 6%
  • QC, 5%
  • Attorney-Client Privilege, 5%
Common assistant counsel skills
  • Litigation, 14%
  • Legal Issues, 11%
  • Legal Advice, 10%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Intellectual Property, 5%
  • Mental Health, 4%