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General counsel vs associate attorney

The differences between general counsels and associate 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 general counsel and an associate attorney. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $110,053 average annual salary of an associate attorney.

The top three skills for a general counsel include litigation, legal issues and legal advice. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.

General counsel vs associate attorney overview

General CounselAssociate Attorney
Yearly salary$125,248$110,053
Hourly rate$60.22$52.91
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs50,2759,183
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Doctoral Degree, 57%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

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 associate attorney do?

An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.

General counsel vs associate attorney salary

General counsels and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

General CounselAssociate Attorney
Average salary$125,248$110,053
Salary rangeBetween $75,000 And $208,000Between $70,000 And $170,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMartin's Point Health CareSchiff Hardin
Best paying industryFinanceProfessional

Differences between general counsel and associate attorney education

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

General CounselAssociate Attorney
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Doctoral Degree, 57%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

General counsel vs associate attorney demographics

Here are the differences between general counsels' and associate attorneys' demographics:

General CounselAssociate Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 61.5% Female, 38.5%Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9%
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, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between general counsel and associate attorney 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.
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Associate attorney example responsibilities.

  • Provide litigation support for general civil and probate litigation at trial and appellate levels.
  • Attend arbitration hearings, conduct and attend depositions, and negotiate and evaluate settlements in arbitration and litigation disputes.
  • Participate in all phases of commercial and construction litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
  • Play instrumental role in all areas of litigation preparation, including authoring interrogatories, participating in depositions and preparing for trial.
  • Prepare briefs and counsele clients in matters pertaining to unemployment and workers' compensation, including hearings and appeals.
  • Represent contracting officers in administrative appeals.
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General counsel vs associate attorney skills

Common general counsel skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Issues, 8%
  • Legal Advice, 8%
  • Intellectual Property, 5%
  • Risk Management, 4%
  • Ethics, 4%
Common associate attorney skills
  • Litigation, 24%
  • Law Firm, 10%
  • Discovery Responses, 9%
  • Pre-Trial Motions, 3%
  • Real Estate Transactions, 3%
  • Legal Issues, 2%