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The differences between legal editors and legal externs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a legal editor and a legal extern. Additionally, a legal editor has an average salary of $58,985, which is higher than the $47,238 average annual salary of a legal extern.
The top three skills for a legal editor include law firm, legal issues and legal analysis. The most important skills for a legal extern are litigation, legal intern, and legal issues.
| Legal Editor | Legal Extern | |
| Yearly salary | $58,985 | $47,238 |
| Hourly rate | $28.36 | $22.71 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,277 | 10,986 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A legal editor is responsible for editing executive orders and resolutions, copyreads and proofreads a government or a company's publication. They also ensure that all pertinent documentation is under the policies and standards of an organization, company, or law firm. This career includes having sufficient organizational and management skills, very keen on details, output-oriented, and good at decision making. Also, there are some legal editors who serve as managers in a law firm or company's social media.
Legal externs are law students who took the opportunity to do on-the-job training at a law firm. Instead of monetary compensation, they receive academic credits. Legal externs primarily engage in job shadowing. They are usually assigned mentors in the law firm, and they would shadow their mentors in their daily routines. Legal externs are exposed to the actual work done by lawyers. Legal externs are involved in cases, providing insights while building a solid case for their client, giving advice to clients, and representing clients under the supervision of the actual lawyers in the firm. They are usually not given administrative or clerical tasks since they are expected to do more tasks directly related to being a lawyer.
Legal editors and legal externs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Editor | Legal Extern | |
| Average salary | $58,985 | $47,238 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $103,000 | Between $23,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Jones Day |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal editor and a legal extern in terms of educational background:
| Legal Editor | Legal Extern | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between legal editors' and legal externs' demographics:
| Legal Editor | Legal Extern | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7% | Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 10% | 10% |