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The differences between research attorneys and assistant 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 research attorney and an assistant counsel. Additionally, a research attorney has an average salary of $92,154, which is higher than the $61,229 average annual salary of an assistant counsel.
The top three skills for a research attorney include litigation, legal issues and legal memoranda. The most important skills for an assistant counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.
| Research Attorney | Assistant Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $92,154 | $61,229 |
| Hourly rate | $44.30 | $29.44 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 52,731 | 8,574 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A research attorney researches laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court. They also review jury notes and opinions and judiciary notes. Their duties and responsibilities also include verifying that all files, complaints, or other papers are available and in the proper order.
Assistant counsels are legal professionals who research and analyze various laws so they can apply them to the different legal issues that arose in a corporation. These counsels must develop an agency-wide client privacy policy and manage responses to all matters involving subpoenas and warrants. They advise other departments for legal claims related to the right of privacy and publicity as well as defamation. Assistant counsels are also required to act as labor attorneys for employees facing internal discrimination suits while dealing with FMLA, ERISA, and HIPAA issues.
Research attorneys and assistant counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Attorney | Assistant Counsel | |
| Average salary | $92,154 | $61,229 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $146,000 | Between $36,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a research attorney and an assistant counsel in terms of educational background:
| Research Attorney | Assistant Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research attorneys' and assistant counsels' demographics:
| Research Attorney | Assistant Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |