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The differences between legal clerks 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 legal clerk and a litigation legal assistant. Additionally, a litigation legal assistant has an average salary of $51,253, which is higher than the $35,152 average annual salary of a legal clerk.
The top three skills for a legal clerk include litigation, legal correspondence and subpoenas. The most important skills for a litigation legal assistant are litigation, law firm, and trial preparation.
| Legal Clerk | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,152 | $51,253 |
| Hourly rate | $16.90 | $24.64 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 74,069 | 9,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A legal clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to legal offices and organizations to ensure smooth legal business operations. Legal clerks sort and distribute documents to the appropriate personnel, update information on the database, schedule appointments, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, and document meeting objectives. They may also coordinate with other offices and institutions to acquire files and research data according to the needs of the managing department. A legal clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in monitoring business transactions and submitting reports timely and accurately.
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.
Legal clerks and litigation legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Clerk | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $35,152 | $51,253 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $49,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Diodes Incorporated | Earthjustice |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal clerk and a litigation legal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Legal Clerk | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Law | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between legal clerks' and litigation legal assistants' demographics:
| Legal Clerk | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.9% Female, 60.1% | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 9% | 9% |