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Lawyer vs document review attorney

The differences between lawyers and document review 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 lawyer and a document review attorney. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $81,181 average annual salary of a document review attorney.

The top three skills for a lawyer include litigation, law firm and legal issues. The most important skills for a document review attorney are litigation, complex litigation, and e-discovery software.

Lawyer vs document review attorney overview

LawyerDocument Review Attorney
Yearly salary$115,808$81,181
Hourly rate$55.68$39.03
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs2,8979,393
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Doctoral Degree, 60%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a lawyer do?

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.

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.

Lawyer vs document review attorney salary

Lawyers and document review attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

LawyerDocument Review Attorney
Average salary$115,808$81,181
Salary rangeBetween $64,000 And $208,000Between $48,000 And $134,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyNelson Mullins Riley & ScarboroughCooley
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between lawyer and document review attorney education

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

LawyerDocument Review Attorney
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Doctoral Degree, 60%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Lawyer vs document review attorney demographics

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

LawyerDocument Review Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 48.5% Female, 51.5%Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3%
Race ratioBlack 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%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%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between lawyer and document review attorney duties and responsibilities

Lawyer example responsibilities.

  • Participate in drafting legal documents and prepare business contracts, perform taxation duties for the enterprise and settle disputes with employees.
  • Handle all types of civil claims and provide notary services
  • Review of complaints relate to judicial ethics and employee misconduct.
  • Draft, proofread and ensure filing and service of criminal motions.
  • Draft a variety of pleadings and motions on behalf of the plaintiff.
  • Assist clients at the notary public office and negotiate licensing agreements for virtual data rooms.
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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.
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Lawyer vs document review attorney skills

Common lawyer skills
  • Litigation, 14%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Civil Law, 5%
Common document review attorney skills
  • Litigation, 32%
  • Complex Litigation, 7%
  • E-Discovery Software, 6%
  • Law Firm, 6%
  • QC, 5%
  • Attorney-Client Privilege, 5%