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The differences between trial attorneys and legal 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 trial attorney and a legal counsel. Additionally, a legal counsel has an average salary of $132,867, which is higher than the $110,340 average annual salary of a trial attorney.
The top three skills for a trial attorney include litigation, legal research and property damage. The most important skills for a legal counsel are legal advice, legal issues, and litigation.
| Trial Attorney | Legal Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $110,340 | $132,867 |
| Hourly rate | $53.05 | $63.88 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 7,253 | 10,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Trial attorneys are responsible for representing and defending clients in court. Trial attorneys must have excellent legal research skills to assess pieces of evidence and examining relevant judicial decisions to support the client's claims. A trial attorney should also provide legal advice for the clients and guide them through the legal procedures depending on the severity of the case. Trial attorneys must be able to develop trial strategies and arguments in the court to win the judge and the trial jury's decision.
A Legal Counsel supervises the legal aspects of a business. They give accurate and timely counsel to executives on a variety of legal topics, such as labor law, partnerships, or international ventures.
Trial attorneys and legal counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Trial Attorney | Legal Counsel | |
| Average salary | $110,340 | $132,867 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $166,000 | Between $81,000 And $216,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a trial attorney and a legal counsel in terms of educational background:
| Trial Attorney | Legal Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between trial attorneys' and legal counsels' demographics:
| Trial Attorney | Legal Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8% |
| 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, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |