A report from the recruiter, sub-titled 'Client Dynamics Driving Change in the Legal Profession', refers to three kinds of lawyer whose workplace role is quite different to that of the traditional lawyer. These start off with 'career associates' who 'earn about half the salary of traditional associates who are on the partner track'. They carry out legal work but do not manage staffor have business development duties. 

Reduced billable hours

Then there are 'practice group attorneys' who work in practice groups and who 'perform associate-level legal work at reduced hours for about half the salary of partner-track associates'. Then there are 'department attorneys' who carry out 'the same legal work handled by traditional associates but with reduced billable hour expectations and without partner-track status'. Source: Robert Half