Legal Analyst vs. Paralegal

A legal analyst provides support to attorneys for legal proceedings including preparing documents and inspecting evidence for trial, while a paralegal conducts factual and legal research and manages cases.

How To Become A Legal Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a legal analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Hanna Royce

Legal analysts are legal specialists who support and aid lawyers or legal teams. They conduct legal research and compile related legal information. They analyze laws, rulings, and regulations in legal documents. Similarly, they gather, proofread, and edit drafts of contracts, leases, licenses, policies, and other legal documents. Besides that, they study and develop written summaries of legislation, regulations, court decisions, industry standards, trade journals, and other related publications. Additionally, they maintain and update database and tracking systems. Also, they serve as the primary point of contact and perform administrative duties.

For this role, you need a bachelor's degree in law with at least two years of related experience. You must possess organization, communication, attention to detail, research, time management, and critical thinking skills. You must be familiar with database and tracking systems, including PACER, Westlaw, and other legal research sites. Legal analysts make about $65,250 annually. This ranges between $42,000 and $102,000.

What general advice would you give to a legal analyst?

Hanna Royce

Assistant Dean of Career Services, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

Graduates should keep their network active. This includes them taking the time to re-engage with the members of their network on a regular basis and continuing to make new contacts. They should make it a priority to stay in touch with their classmates and professors. They might be looking for a new position in the future, and their legal network can help them locate opportunities through the hidden job market.

Many graduates are securing remote positions. To be successful in a remote environment, employees need to make the extra effort to communicate and stay connected with colleagues. Even when employees are telecommuting, they should dress as if they are going into the office. This can help them with productivity and illustrate their professionalism when meeting with colleagues or clients.

ScoreLegal AnalystUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,497

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.37%

Black or African American 5.54%

Hispanic or Latino 7.76%

Unknown 4.38%

White 75.65%

Gender

female 59.32%

male 40.68%

Age - 45

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 - 45

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a legal analyst

Explore legal analyst education requirements

Most common legal analyst degrees

Bachelor's

57.1 %

Doctorate

23.7 %

Associate

8.1 %

Start to develop specific legal analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Legal Research	14.95%
Litigation	9.65%
PowerPoint	5.86%
Legal Issues	5.21%
Due Diligence	4.41%

Complete relevant legal analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New legal analysts 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 legal analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real legal analyst resumes.

Research legal analyst duties and responsibilities

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Prepare your legal analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your legal analyst resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable legal analyst resume templates

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