General counsel vs assistant general counsel

The differences between general counsels and assistants general counsel can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a general counsel and an assistant general counsel. Additionally, an assistant general counsel has an average salary of $141,227, which is higher than the $125,248 average annual salary of a general counsel.

The top three skills for a general counsel include litigation, legal issues and legal advice. The most important skills for an assistant general counsel are legal advice, litigation, and legal issues.

General counsel vs assistant general counsel overview

	General Counsel	Assistant General Counsel
Yearly salary	$125,248	$141,227
Hourly rate	$60.22	$67.90
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	50,275	58,508
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Doctoral Degree, 51%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

What does a general counsel do?

A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.

What does an assistant general counsel do?

An assistant general counsel helps the general counsel in giving professional legal services to an entity, such as protecting its legal affairs. He/She or she also helps stakeholders such as legal and executive managers and board of directors for the efficient execution of their roles. The position requires essential skills such as good research, analytical, interpersonal skills, and a keen eye for details. The education requirements for the job include obtaining a bachelor's or master's degree in law, business, political science, and a related field.

General counsel vs assistant general counsel salary

General counsels and assistants general counsel have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Counsel	Assistant General Counsel
Average salary	$125,248	$141,227
Salary range	Between $75,000 And $208,000	Between $93,000 And $214,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Martin's Point Health Care	Coty
Best paying industry	Finance	Utilities

Differences between general counsel and assistant general counsel education

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

	General Counsel	Assistant General Counsel
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Doctoral Degree, 51%
Most common major	Law	Law
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

General counsel vs assistant general counsel demographics

Here are the differences between general counsels' and assistants general counsel' demographics:

	General Counsel	Assistant General Counsel
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%	Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5%
Race ratio	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%	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%

Differences between general counsel and assistant general counsel duties and responsibilities

General counsel example responsibilities.

Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
Review subpoenas and attorney letters for compliance with HIPAA and institutional guidelines and coordinate non-party depositions as needed.
Prepare dozens of complex commercial transactions in connection to equity and debt securities offerings.
Handle regulatory, compliance, licensing, and registration matters for securities broker- dealer and register investment adviser.
Supervise commercial litigation, arbitration and claims, including case strategy, pleadings preparation, hearings, depositions and settlement negotiations.
Supervise and train unit charge with securing patient medical records, ensuring compliance with Medicare and HIPAA regulations and accreditation standards.

Assistant general counsel example responsibilities.

Manage debt and equity offerings and relate disclosure under applicable state and federal securities laws.
Manage the litigation referral process; work with examiners and investigators preparing subpoenas, taking witness testimony and reviewing documentary evidence.
Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
Draft and assist in the implementation of data use authorizations with all clinical trial sites to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Advise clients on many legal matters in pharmacy services administration, audits, HIPAA, and health care issues in general.
Coordinate defective pricing reviews, post award audits and conduct internal ethics investigations.

General counsel vs assistant general counsel skills

Common general counsel skills

Litigation, 12%
Legal Issues, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Intellectual Property, 5%
Risk Management, 4%
Ethics, 4%

Common assistant general counsel skills

Legal Advice, 10%
Litigation, 10%
Legal Issues, 7%
Legal Support, 5%
Legal Research, 5%
Legal Services, 4%

General Counsel vs. similar jobs

General Counsel related careers

General Counsel related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Legal Industry
General Counsel
General Counsel vs Assistant General Counsel

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse legal jobs