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General counsel vs litigation associate

The differences between general counsels and litigation associates 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 a litigation associate. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $112,116 average annual salary of a litigation associate.

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

General counsel vs litigation associate overview

General CounselLitigation Associate
Yearly salary$125,248$112,116
Hourly rate$60.22$53.90
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs50,2759,779
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Doctoral Degree, 56%
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 a litigation associate do?

A Litigation Associate offers legal advice for individuals involved in lawsuits and represents them in court. They prepare pleading, collect evidence, defend depositions, and manage the client database.

General counsel vs litigation associate salary

General counsels and litigation associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

General CounselLitigation Associate
Average salary$125,248$112,116
Salary rangeBetween $75,000 And $208,000Between $68,000 And $182,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWhite Plains, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyMartin's Point Health CareBryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Best paying industryFinanceProfessional

Differences between general counsel and litigation associate education

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

General CounselLitigation Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Doctoral Degree, 56%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

General counsel vs litigation associate demographics

Here are the differences between general counsels' and litigation associates' demographics:

General CounselLitigation Associate
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 61.5% Female, 38.5%Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6%
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, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between general counsel and litigation associate 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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Litigation associate example responsibilities.

  • Lead and assist in out-of-court resolution of actions including settlement negotiations, mediation, and arbitration.
  • Manage all aspects of motion practice and discovery in class and institutional actions involving residential mortgage-backed securities investments.
  • Represent immigrants in deportation proceedings, federal litigation and appeals.
  • Participate in complex commercial litigation group, with matters involving insurance, entertainment, products liability, utilities and investment banking.
  • Research various aspects of family law, civil procedure, and tort law.
  • Ensure business compliance with FDCPA, HIPAA, ADA, and various other regulations.
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General counsel vs litigation associate skills

Common general counsel skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Issues, 8%
  • Legal Advice, 8%
  • Intellectual Property, 5%
  • Risk Management, 4%
  • Ethics, 4%
Common litigation associate skills
  • Litigation, 28%
  • Law Firm, 11%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Commercial Litigation, 5%
  • Discovery Motions, 3%
  • Insurance Coverage, 3%