Of counsel

Of counsel is the title of an attorney in the legal profession of the United States who often has a relationship with a law firm or an organization but is neither an associate nor partner.

[1] In large law firms, the title generally denotes a lawyer with the experience of a partner, but who does not carry the same workload or business development responsibility.

[2] Formal Opinion 90-357 of the American Bar Association provides four acceptable definitions of the term:[3] The title may be used in a number of situations, including:[2] Some firms also use the term to refer to attorneys hired on a temporary basis to assist with a particular case.

However, because "of counsel" describes "a close, regular, personal relationship", temporary lawyers used by law firms to engage in document reviews for a specific project or for limited duration are not "of counsel".

[4] The average annual base salary for "of counsel" or "special counsel" in the United States between 2003 and 2009 was US$216,019 (with salary varying depending on size/reputation of the firm, its location, and the attorney’s experience).