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The differences between legal specialists and 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 legal specialist and an attorney. Additionally, an attorney has an average salary of $109,476, which is higher than the $55,253 average annual salary of a legal specialist.
The top three skills for a legal specialist include legal support, legal research and proofreading. The most important skills for an attorney are litigation, legal research, and law firm.
| Legal Specialist | Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $55,253 | $109,476 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $52.63 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,517 | 10,991 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A legal specialist is responsible for supporting an organization's legal department or law office by performing administrative duties to assist legal operations. Legal specialists are the clients' first point-of-contact, especially on scheduling appointments and responding to legal services inquiries and concerns. They also organize legal documents, prepare and write contracts, and help legal professionals with collecting information for their cases. A legal specialist must have comprehensive knowledge of the legal industry, including law processes and federal regulations.
Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.
Legal specialists and attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Specialist | Attorney | |
| Average salary | $55,253 | $109,476 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $98,000 | Between $69,000 And $172,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | White Plains, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Orrick | Thompson Coburn |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a legal specialist and an attorney in terms of educational background:
| Legal Specialist | Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Doctoral Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between legal specialists' and attorneys' demographics:
| Legal Specialist | Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5% | Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% 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, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |