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The differences between contract attorneys and litigation associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a contract attorney and a litigation associate. Additionally, a litigation associate has an average salary of $112,116, which is higher than the $97,474 average annual salary of a contract attorney.
The top three skills for a contract attorney include litigation, e-discovery and legal research. The most important skills for a litigation associate are litigation, law firm, and legal research.
| Contract Attorney | Litigation Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $97,474 | $112,116 |
| Hourly rate | $46.86 | $53.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,592 | 9,779 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
A Litigation Associate offers legal advice for individuals involved in lawsuits and represents them in court. They prepare pleading, collect evidence, defend depositions, and manage the client database.
Contract attorneys and litigation associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Attorney | Litigation Associate | |
| Average salary | $97,474 | $112,116 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $158,000 | Between $68,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | White Plains, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a contract attorney and a litigation associate in terms of educational background:
| Contract Attorney | Litigation Associate | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between contract attorneys' and litigation associates' demographics:
| Contract Attorney | Litigation Associate | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |