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Contractor-paralegal vs litigation legal assistant

The differences between contractor-paralegals and litigation legal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a contractor-paralegal and a litigation legal assistant. Additionally, a contractor-paralegal has an average salary of $60,686, which is higher than the $51,253 average annual salary of a litigation legal assistant.

The top three skills for a contractor-paralegal include litigation, legal research and discovery responses. The most important skills for a litigation legal assistant are litigation, law firm, and trial preparation.

Contractor-paralegal vs litigation legal assistant overview

Contractor-ParalegalLitigation Legal Assistant
Yearly salary$60,686$51,253
Hourly rate$29.18$24.64
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs15,6099,152
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

What does a contractor-paralegal do?

A Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.

What does a litigation legal assistant do?

A litigation legal assistant is responsible for assisting operations by organizing documents, researching court files, and scheduling appointments for client consultation. Litigation legal assistants collect case evidence, interview witnesses, and write minutes of meetings for reference. They also coordinate with other organizations to confirm information for possible trials and verify the accuracy of every data. A litigation legal assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling data management procedures under minimal supervision and strict adherence with deadlines.

Contractor-paralegal vs litigation legal assistant salary

Contractor-paralegals and litigation legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Contractor-ParalegalLitigation Legal Assistant
Average salary$60,686$51,253
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $99,000Between $35,000 And $73,000
Highest paying CityCamarillo, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companySeaSpineEarthjustice
Best paying industryFinanceProfessional

Differences between contractor-paralegal and litigation legal assistant education

There are a few differences between a contractor-paralegal and a litigation legal assistant in terms of educational background:

Contractor-ParalegalLitigation Legal Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorLegal Support ServicesLegal Support Services
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Contractor-paralegal vs litigation legal assistant demographics

Here are the differences between contractor-paralegals' and litigation legal assistants' demographics:

Contractor-ParalegalLitigation Legal Assistant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 26.8% Female, 73.2%Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between contractor-paralegal and litigation legal assistant duties and responsibilities

Contractor-paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Manage client expenses and prepare billing and financial statements using PClaw and reconcile attorney's escrow and general accounts using QuickBooks.
  • Assist staff counsels in all aspects of litigation management including factual investigation, document preparation, trial preparation and support.
  • Research using Lexis Nexis and online resources.
  • Summarize medical records, check blue-book cites, retrieve statutory and case law on LEXIS ,
  • Complete contract work for local attorneys in the areas of civil, family law, personal injury, and probate matters.
  • Prepare, compile and distribute various PowerPoint presentations.
  • Show more

Litigation legal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and coordinate various aspects of major pharmaceutical litigation including budgeting, work scope plans, staffing and defense coordination.
  • Prepare and review all discovery materials, including depositions, subpoenas, interrogatories, interviews.
  • Prepare PowerPoint presentations for visual aids at trial and for inhouse presentations.
  • Review and respond to interrogatories and discovery.
  • Prepare answers to and draft interrogatories and document requests.
  • Prepare defensive pleadings, motions and affidavits including discovery.
  • Show more

Contractor-paralegal vs litigation legal assistant skills

Common contractor-paralegal skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Research, 9%
  • Discovery Responses, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 7%
  • In-House Counsel, 5%
  • Contract Database, 5%
Common litigation legal assistant skills
  • Litigation, 23%
  • Law Firm, 9%
  • Trial Preparation, 6%
  • Legal Research, 4%
  • Travel Arrangements, 4%
  • Subpoenas, 4%