| Topic Name: |
What is Counsel |
| Message Name: |
It's a bit more complicated than that |
| Date Posted: |
01/05/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
As far as I know, "counsel" is between Associate and Partner. They're typically people who've been with the firm for a while (say 5-8 years) and do not share in profits like partners do but make salaries around what 5th-8th year associates would make. Seems like a euphemism for Associate to me. |
| Message: |
Lawyers can be "of counsel" to a firm for a number of reasons. Some lawyers are "of counsel" because they
are associates too valuable to lose but not valuable enough to make partner. Many "of counsel", however, are experienced attorneys who are not part of the partnership, but are not really treated as mere glorified associates,either. Sometimes an "of counsel" is semi-retired, and sometimes an "of counsel" is a former partner.
Sometimes an "of counsel" is a specialist who works with the firm on many files but who likes to have a few files which are not fully merged financially with the firm's files. Sometimes an "of counsel" is a senior worker bee, too experienced to term an associate or staff attorney. "Of counsel" usually means a non-partner experienced attorney with the firm, but the reasons and details vary widely from firm to firm and attorney to attorney.
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