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Legal researcher vs general counsel

The differences between legal researchers and general counsels 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 researcher and a general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $49,342 average annual salary of a legal researcher.

The top three skills for a legal researcher include litigation, legal issues and in-house counsel. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.

Legal researcher vs general counsel overview

Legal ResearcherGeneral Counsel
Yearly salary$49,342$125,248
Hourly rate$23.72$60.22
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs10,65950,275
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

Legal researcher vs general counsel salary

Legal researchers and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.

Legal ResearcherGeneral Counsel
Average salary$49,342$125,248
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $106,000Between $75,000 And $208,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companySimpson Thacher & BartlettMartin's Point Health Care
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between legal researcher and general counsel education

There are a few differences between a legal researcher and a general counsel in terms of educational background:

Legal ResearcherGeneral Counsel
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Legal researcher vs general counsel demographics

Here are the differences between legal researchers' and general counsels' demographics:

Legal ResearcherGeneral Counsel
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 47.0% Female, 53.0%Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.5% 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 legal researcher and general counsel duties and responsibilities

Legal researcher example responsibilities.

  • Create PowerPoint presentation used to train staff on managing copyright and trademark infringement risk.
  • Assist in all aspects of discovery including drafting and responding to document requests, interrogatories, requests-for-admission and third party subpoenas.
  • Research and complete memos on unsettle questions in Hawaii probate law
  • Edit manuscripts submit by outside authors for publication in BNA portfolios on subjects in corporate law.
  • Research depositions, interrogatories, exposure assessment literature and medical reports.
  • Ensure data integrity while fulfilling request on behalf of company litigation team.
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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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Legal researcher vs general counsel skills

Common legal researcher skills
  • Litigation, 11%
  • Legal Issues, 8%
  • In-House Counsel, 5%
  • Real Estate, 5%
  • Civil Law, 5%
  • Legal Memoranda, 4%
Common general counsel skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Issues, 8%
  • Legal Advice, 8%
  • Intellectual Property, 5%
  • Risk Management, 4%
  • Ethics, 4%