How To Become A Complex Commercial Litigation Paralegal: What It Is and Career Path

What is a complex commercial litigation paralegal and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Emily Allen-Hornblower

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a complex commercial litigation paralegal. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.01 an hour? That's $60,343 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 14% and produce 49,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a complex commercial litigation paralegal?

Emily Allen-Hornblower

Associate Professor of Classics, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

"I would say, think broadly. Your CV gives you an edge - you chose a course of study that is somewhat atypical, original (and a great conversation starter!) that gave you widely applicable skills.

I mean, who studies Classics? Who willingly subjects themselves to the rigors of Latin or Greek - or both? Who commits to navigating the intricacies of an interdisciplinary path that combines some of the most vital areas of inquiry for our time: social and cultural history, political science, philosophy, psychology, literary studies, material culture?

A go-getter. Someone who is passionate. And is Driven.

And you know what? Employers know that. They see that on your CV, and they think, wow - here is someone interesting and hard-working and who thinks out of the box. And they are right. Xerox saw that. Macy's saw that. The Air Force Intelligence Officer who hired one of our (female!) undergraduates as an officer saw that. The software engineer who hired another one of our grads to join his team as a full-time software engineer saw that. Oxford University Press in New York City saw that - and hired another recent grad as a full-time intern in their Higher Education Editorial Development department. SO: Classics majors, think big and broad. There is no restricted path for what is next.

So - Graduating seniors in Classics (and other Liberal Arts degrees), as you prepare to go forward into the world, you have good reason to go forth with pride, and enter the world after college, with all its question marks and inevitable bumps in the road, with confidence.
A Classics major is excellent preparation for the pursuit of a wide range of careers in a large number of fields, including, but not limited to, government, law, education, business, journalism, library science, publishing, foreign service, finance, the entertainment industry, museum, and preservation work, pharmaceutical sciences, music, and the arts, foundations, technology, web design, and labor relations. So think broadly. You've got this. "

ScoreComplex Commercial Litigation ParalegalUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $60,343

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 14%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.36%

Black or African American 8.17%

Hispanic or Latino 21.45%

Unknown 4.71%

White 59.91%

Gender

female 77.00%

male 23.00%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress level

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a complex commercial litigation paralegal

Explore complex commercial litigation paralegal education requirements

Most common complex commercial litigation paralegal degrees

Bachelor's

68.3 %

Associate

22.0 %

Master's

4.9 %

Start to develop specific complex commercial litigation paralegal skills

Skills	Percentages
Litigation	21.83%
Subpoenas	16.66%
Commercial Litigation	10.72%
Pacer	9.85%
Deposition Preparation	8.02%

Complete relevant complex commercial litigation paralegal training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New complex commercial litigation paralegals 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 a complex commercial litigation paralegal based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real complex commercial litigation paralegal resumes.

Research complex commercial litigation paralegal duties and responsibilities

Manage employment and commercial litigation lawsuits including corporate and facility collection and contract matters, intellectual property matters and bankruptcy.
Draft and prepare subpoenas in state and federal courts.
Represent corporate clients in contract disputes and provide counseling on litigation prevention strategies.
Draft and file motions to compel, interrogatories, and document requests.

Prepare your complex commercial litigation paralegal resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your complex commercial litigation paralegal resume.

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