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Expert witness vs litigation paralegal

The differences between expert witnesses and litigation paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an expert witness, becoming a litigation paralegal takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an expert witness has an average salary of $65,959, which is higher than the $58,484 average annual salary of a litigation paralegal.

The top three skills for an expert witness include arbitration, litigation and trial preparation. The most important skills for a litigation paralegal are litigation, law firm, and trial preparation.

Expert witness vs litigation paralegal overview

Expert WitnessLitigation Paralegal
Yearly salary$65,959$58,484
Hourly rate$31.71$28.12
Growth rate11%14%
Number of jobs12,5345,132
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4446
Years of experience412

Expert witness vs litigation paralegal salary

Expert witnesses and litigation paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.

Expert WitnessLitigation Paralegal
Average salary$65,959$58,484
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $95,000Between $40,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Google
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between expert witness and litigation paralegal education

There are a few differences between an expert witness and a litigation paralegal in terms of educational background:

Expert WitnessLitigation Paralegal
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorNursingLegal Support Services
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaHarvard University

Expert witness vs litigation paralegal demographics

Here are the differences between expert witnesses' and litigation paralegals' demographics:

Expert WitnessLitigation Paralegal
Average age4446
Gender ratioMale, 58.2% Female, 41.8%Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 9.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage12%9%

Differences between expert witness and litigation paralegal duties and responsibilities

Expert witness example responsibilities.

  • Deliver PowerPoint presentations to various legal groups with regard to managing discovery.
  • Provide expert witness services (plaintiff and defendant) to attorneys and their clients nationwide, relevant to employment practice claims.
  • Defend opinion atArbitration resulting in successful outcome for the plaintiff.
  • Assist with preparation of arbitration and trial examination and cross examination.
  • Assist companies and their attorneys in litigation procedures and abatement verification.
  • Organize litigation support records, prepare contracts, and verify banking information.
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Litigation paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Achieve sole responsibility for administration of all estates and guardianships.
  • Deliver PowerPoint presentations to various legal groups with regard to managing discovery.
  • Assist patent attorneys by managing invention disclosure documentation and relate correspondence with outside counsel and USPTO.
  • Organize and computer-log hundreds of litigation files, ranging from asbestos exposure to product liability cases.
  • Assist attorneys with all aspects of litigation from preliminary motions through discovery and preparations for arbitration or trial.
  • Proofread and edit legal documents.
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Expert witness vs litigation paralegal skills

Common expert witness skills
  • Arbitration, 21%
  • Litigation, 13%
  • Trial Preparation, 7%
  • Child Abuse, 6%
  • Private Practice, 6%
  • Mental Health, 6%
Common litigation paralegal skills
  • Litigation, 22%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Trial Preparation, 7%
  • Legal Research, 7%
  • Subpoenas, 7%
  • Discovery Responses, 5%

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