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Staff attorney vs assistant state attorney

The differences between staff attorneys and assistant state 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 staff attorney and an assistant state attorney. Additionally, a staff attorney has an average salary of $110,028, which is higher than the $82,255 average annual salary of an assistant state attorney.

The top three skills for a staff attorney include litigation, legal services and juris. The most important skills for an assistant state attorney are litigation, criminal cases, and appeals.

Staff attorney vs assistant state attorney overview

Staff AttorneyAssistant State Attorney
Yearly salary$110,028$82,255
Hourly rate$52.90$39.55
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs75,4029,855
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 56%Doctoral Degree, 51%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

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.

What does an assistant state attorney do?

An Assistant Staff Attorney performs a wide range of clerical and administrative work that requires knowledge of legal terms, documents, and procedures. They also communicate with clients to keep them informed on case progress.

Staff attorney vs assistant state attorney salary

Staff attorneys and assistant state attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Staff AttorneyAssistant State Attorney
Average salary$110,028$82,255
Salary rangeBetween $69,000 And $173,000Between $55,000 And $122,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAOakland, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyNelson Mullins Riley & ScarboroughState Attorney's Office
Best paying industryProfessionalGovernment

Differences between staff attorney and assistant state attorney education

There are a few differences between a staff attorney and an assistant state attorney in terms of educational background:

Staff AttorneyAssistant State Attorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 56%Doctoral Degree, 51%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Staff attorney vs assistant state attorney demographics

Here are the differences between staff attorneys' and assistant state attorneys' demographics:

Staff AttorneyAssistant State Attorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 47.5% Female, 52.5%Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between staff attorney and assistant state attorney duties and responsibilities

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.
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Assistant state attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage all phases of criminal investigations including grand jury subpoenas and witness testimony.
  • Provide training to other assistant state's attorneys on DUI topics and general trial technique
  • Prosecute misdemeanor and felony traffic offenses that include DUI, narcotics, and fleeing/eluding police.
  • Draft appellate responses to misdemeanor appeals
  • Research and draft several successful appeals.
  • Review cases, prepare discovery, and issue subpoenas under statutorily impose deadlines.
  • Show more

Staff attorney vs assistant state attorney skills

Common staff attorney skills
  • Litigation, 17%
  • Legal Services, 8%
  • Juris, 7%
  • Legal Advice, 6%
  • Appeals, 4%
  • Administrative Agencies, 4%
Common assistant state attorney skills
  • Litigation, 16%
  • Criminal Cases, 10%
  • Appeals, 7%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
  • Criminal Division, 5%
  • District Court, 5%