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Law clerk vs litigation associate

The differences between law clerks and litigation associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a litigation associate has an average salary of $112,116, which is higher than the $55,916 average annual salary of a law clerk.

The top three skills for a law clerk include litigation, legal issues and legal memos. The most important skills for a litigation associate are litigation, law firm, and legal research.

Law clerk vs litigation associate overview

Law ClerkLitigation Associate
Yearly salary$55,916$112,116
Hourly rate$26.88$53.90
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs75,0149,779
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Doctoral Degree, 56%
Average age4146
Years of experience-4

What does a law clerk do?

Law clerks are employees in a legal firm who handle clerical tasks for the office. They handle the office's official phone lines, answering incoming calls, and making outgoing calls. They also field office correspondence, often receiving incoming mail and distributing them to their addressees. They manage office documents and ensure that they are correctly filed and labeled in their respective storage bins. Law clerks help make office life more comfortable because they make sure that the office is running well. They also manage appointments and office calendars.

What does a litigation associate do?

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.

Law clerk vs litigation associate salary

Law clerks and litigation associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Law ClerkLitigation Associate
Average salary$55,916$112,116
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $114,000Between $68,000 And $182,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCWhite Plains, NY
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companyHughes Hubbard & ReedBryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Best paying industryProfessionalProfessional

Differences between law clerk and litigation associate education

There are a few differences between a law clerk and a litigation associate in terms of educational background:

Law ClerkLitigation Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Doctoral Degree, 56%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Law clerk vs litigation associate demographics

Here are the differences between law clerks' and litigation associates' demographics:

Law ClerkLitigation Associate
Average age4146
Gender ratioMale, 52.5% Female, 47.5%Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 8.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 53.9% 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 Percentage13%10%

Differences between law clerk and litigation associate duties and responsibilities

Law clerk example responsibilities.

  • Hire specifically to perform legal research and write memorandums on probate cases, particularly those involving litigation.
  • Conduct legal research, draft various legal documents, including complaints, social security/disability appeals, settlement demand letters and subpoenas.
  • Research and draft affirmations in support, arbitration contentions, discovery responses, and attorney correspondence for insurance fraud litigation firm.
  • Value securities by performing company valuations utilizing DCF and multiples methods.
  • Develop valuation ranges using precedent transaction, comparable company, and DCF analyses
  • Utilize LexisNexis and WestlawNext search databases to conduct legal research and data analysis.
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Litigation associate example responsibilities.

  • Lead and assist in out-of-court resolution of actions including settlement negotiations, mediation, and arbitration.
  • Manage all aspects of motion practice and discovery in class and institutional actions involving residential mortgage-backed securities investments.
  • Represent immigrants in deportation proceedings, federal litigation and appeals.
  • Participate in complex commercial litigation group, with matters involving insurance, entertainment, products liability, utilities and investment banking.
  • Research various aspects of family law, civil procedure, and tort law.
  • Ensure business compliance with FDCPA, HIPAA, ADA, and various other regulations.
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Law clerk vs litigation associate skills

Common law clerk skills
  • Litigation, 16%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Legal Memos, 7%
  • Pre-Trial Motions, 6%
  • Interrogatories, 4%
  • Summary Judgment, 3%
Common litigation associate skills
  • Litigation, 28%
  • Law Firm, 11%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Commercial Litigation, 5%
  • Discovery Motions, 3%
  • Insurance Coverage, 3%