Public defender vs general counsel

The differences between public defenders 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 public defender and a general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $69,052 average annual salary of a public defender.

The top three skills for a public defender include mental health, law enforcement and criminal cases. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.

Public defender vs general counsel overview

	Public Defender	General Counsel
Yearly salary	$69,052	$125,248
Hourly rate	$33.20	$60.22
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	11,673	50,275
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

What does a public defender do?

Public Defenders have a career choice whose scope is simple but contains a complex educational background for the level of work involved. This position calls upon those with strong multitasking, interpersonal skills, and a great deal of confidence for the workload. To qualify for this position, a degree with a focus on criminal defense law is required. They are absolutely indispensable for an appointee in trials to represent people who would otherwise not be able to afford an attorney to defend themselves.

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.

Public defender vs general counsel salary

Public defenders and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Defender	General Counsel
Average salary	$69,052	$125,248
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $98,000	Between $75,000 And $208,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	United States Courts	Martin's Point Health Care
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between public defender and general counsel education

There are a few differences between a public defender and a general counsel in terms of educational background:

	Public Defender	General Counsel
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Law	Law
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Stanford University

Public defender vs general counsel demographics

Here are the differences between public defenders' and general counsels' demographics:

	Public Defender	General Counsel
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% 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%

Differences between public defender and general counsel duties and responsibilities

Public defender example responsibilities.

Achieve not guilty verdicts in DUI, aggravate assault, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, and battery trials.
Research, file, and present all types of pretrial motions, trial motions, writs and appeals.
Perform all aspects of criminal defense litigation, including felony preliminary hearings, and felony and misdemeanor jury trials.
Engage witnesses on direct and cross-examination.
Present felony DWI cases to the grand jury for indictment.
Handle some appeals and post-sentencing issues: violations of probation, protective order mod., etc.

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.

Public defender vs general counsel skills

Common public defender skills

Mental Health, 15%
Law Enforcement, 9%
Criminal Cases, 9%
Legal Research, 8%
Litigation, 4%
Criminal Law, 4%

Common general counsel skills

Litigation, 12%
Legal Issues, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Intellectual Property, 5%
Risk Management, 4%
Ethics, 4%

Public Defender vs. similar jobs

Public Defender related careers

Public Defender related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Legal Industry
Public Defender
Public Defender vs General Counsel

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse legal jobs