What is an attorney/owner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Hanna Royce

This personnel advises and represents clients concerning their legal rights in civil and criminal cases. He/She meets with clients to discuss the various aspects of their cases. He/She performs research to gather important information for each client case. Additionally, he/she attends all pretrial hearings to represent the client in court. Asides from that, he/she informs clients about legal options and enlightens them about the possible outcomes or threats. Furthermore, he/she prepares legal documents like dispositions, pleadings, and contracts as needed and also offers legal support and guidance.

To become an attorney/owner, you must earn a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a school of law after earning a bachelor's degree. You must possess communication, critical thinking, research, and interpersonal skills. You must remain unflappable when things go wrong in court. These professionals earn an average salary of $112,131 per year. It ranges from $58,000 to $216,000.

What general advice would you give to an Attorney/Owner?

H

Hanna Royce

Assistant Dean of Career Services, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

Graduates should keep their network active. This includes them taking the time to re-engage with the members of their network on a regular basis and continuing to make new contacts. They should make it a priority to stay in touch with their classmates and professors. They might be looking for a new position in the future, and their legal network can help them locate opportunities through the hidden job market.

Many graduates are securing remote positions. To be successful in a remote environment, employees need to make the extra effort to communicate and stay connected with colleagues. Even when employees are telecommuting, they should dress as if they are going into the office. This can help them with productivity and illustrate their professionalism when meeting with colleagues or clients.
ScoreAttorney/OwnerUS Average
Salary
7.8

Avg. Salary $108,279

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.29%

Black or African American 5.46%

Hispanic or Latino 7.68%

Unknown 4.37%

White 75.89%

Gender

female 38.51%

male 61.49%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Attorney/Owner career paths

Key steps to become an attorney/owner

  1. Explore attorney/owner education requirements

    Most common attorney/owner degrees

    Doctorate

    57.5 %

    Bachelor's

    35.5 %

    Master's

    4.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific attorney/owner skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Litigation16.47%
    Real Estate Transactions8.24%
    Law Firm6.01%
    Probate5.92%
    Trial Preparation5.21%
  3. Complete relevant attorney/owner training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New attorney/owners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an attorney/owner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real attorney/owner resumes.
  4. Research attorney/owner duties and responsibilities

    • Represent clients in domestic relations, probate, and property situations through negotiation, pleadings, motions, and court appearances.
    • Conduct client interviews, communicate with opposing counsel, prepare for depositions, and conduct depositions in civil litigation matters.
    • Prepare cases for trial and engage in extensive pretrial discovery, law and motion practice, appeals, mediation and arbitration.
    • Represent personal representative or administrator in probate proceedings.
  5. Prepare your attorney/owner resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your attorney/owner resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an attorney/owner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Attorney/Owner Resume templates

    Build a professional Attorney/Owner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Attorney/Owner resume.
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
    Attorney/Owner Resume
  6. Apply for attorney/owner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an attorney/owner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Attorney/Owner Job

Zippi

Are you an Attorney/Owner?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average attorney/owner salary

The average Attorney/Owner salary in the United States is $108,279 per year or $52 per hour. Attorney/owner salaries range between $66,000 and $177,000 per year.

Average Attorney/Owner Salary
$108,279 Yearly
$52.06 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
salary-calculator

How do attorney/owners rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Attorney/Owner reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019
Pros

As a civil litigation defense attorney I love the fact that every day is different. I enjoy assisting clients who have a problem to solve that problem in the most cost effective way, and how to avoid such problems in the future. I like that I basically set my own work schedule (other than court dates).

Cons

Billing hours. Unscrupulous opposing counsel. Occasional biased judges who do not follow the law.


Working as an Attorney/Owner? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.