Post job

Research attorney vs staff attorney

The differences between research attorneys and staff 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 research attorney and a staff attorney. Additionally, a staff attorney has an average salary of $110,028, which is higher than the $92,154 average annual salary of a research attorney.

The top three skills for a research attorney include litigation, legal issues and legal memoranda. The most important skills for a staff attorney are litigation, legal services, and juris.

Research attorney vs staff attorney overview

Research AttorneyStaff Attorney
Yearly salary$92,154$110,028
Hourly rate$44.30$52.90
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs52,73175,402
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 54%Doctoral Degree, 56%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a research attorney do?

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.

What does a staff attorney do?

Staff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.

Research attorney vs staff attorney salary

Research attorneys and staff attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Research AttorneyStaff Attorney
Average salary$92,154$110,028
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $146,000Between $69,000 And $173,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyAirbnbNelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Best paying industryProfessionalProfessional

Differences between research attorney and staff attorney education

There are a few differences between a research attorney and a staff attorney in terms of educational background:

Research AttorneyStaff Attorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 54%Doctoral Degree, 56%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Research attorney vs staff attorney demographics

Here are the differences between research attorneys' and staff attorneys' demographics:

Research AttorneyStaff Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 43.7% Female, 56.3%Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between research attorney and staff attorney duties and responsibilities

Research attorney example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and manage plaintiff's personal injury practice.
  • Conduct legal research for criminal trials and appeals.
  • Review and analyze deeds, leases, probate records, mortgages, mineral reservations, and other applicable legal instruments.
  • Focus on: personal injury, probate, estate planning, construction contracts and liens, domestic relations, etc.
  • Perform legal research and prepare research memos in various litigation matters.
  • Practice focuse in all areas of tort litigation including catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability.
  • Show more

Staff attorney example responsibilities.

  • Generate an internal memorandum exploring VAWA and special immigrant juvenile cases that lead to the establishment of a new clinic program.
  • Provide statewide training for attorneys and advocates on education law and also responsible for major impact education litigation and appeals.
  • Create and conduct workshops on e-discovery, privilege, FMLA, ADA, and FLSA
  • Conduct internal FLSA (wage and hour) compliance and re-classification audits for pre-complaint resolution.
  • General practice attorney handling primarily bankruptcy, domestic relations and criminal cases, preparation of wills and trusts and probate.
  • Draft wills, powers of attorney, probate estate administration filings, divorce filings, caregiver contracts, and property deeds.
  • Show more

Research attorney vs staff attorney skills

Common research attorney skills
  • Litigation, 17%
  • Legal Issues, 12%
  • Legal Memoranda, 9%
  • Appeals, 7%
  • Legal Support, 5%
  • Probate, 5%
Common staff attorney skills
  • Litigation, 17%
  • Legal Services, 8%
  • Juris, 7%
  • Legal Advice, 6%
  • Appeals, 4%
  • Administrative Agencies, 4%