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Legal research assistant vs legal assistant

The differences between legal research assistants and 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 research assistant and a legal assistant. Additionally, a legal research assistant has an average salary of $52,497, which is higher than the $42,387 average annual salary of a legal assistant.

The top three skills for a legal research assistant include proofread, contract law and legal issues. The most important skills for a legal assistant are litigation, legal correspondence, and discovery responses.

Legal research assistant vs legal assistant overview

Legal Research AssistantLegal Assistant
Yearly salary$52,497$42,387
Hourly rate$25.24$20.38
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs52,2459,560
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

Legal research assistant vs legal assistant salary

Legal research assistants and legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Legal Research AssistantLegal Assistant
Average salary$52,497$42,387
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $74,000Between $30,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyNew York State Bar AssociationRoberts Markel Weinberg Butler Hailey Pc
Best paying industryReal EstateProfessional

Differences between legal research assistant and legal assistant education

There are a few differences between a legal research assistant and a legal assistant in terms of educational background:

Legal Research AssistantLegal Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorLawLegal Support Services
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Legal research assistant vs legal assistant demographics

Here are the differences between legal research assistants' and legal assistants' demographics:

Legal Research AssistantLegal Assistant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 44.8% Female, 55.2%Male, 17.4% Female, 82.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between legal research assistant and legal assistant duties and responsibilities

Legal research assistant example responsibilities.

  • Complete accounting and payroll functions.- gather and process client documents.- manage daily operations of office.
  • Collect and organize customer information in response to subpoenas.
  • Attend depositions and prepare interrogatories in personal injury and other tort cases.
  • Assemble case information and draft specific interrogatories and requests for production of documents.
  • Draft responses to commissioner complaints and subpoenas; explain mortgage-servicing issues to homeowners after conducting research; edit form letters.
  • Answer and propound discovery/mandatory disclosure/financial affidavits.
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Legal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Complete accounting and payroll functions.- gather and process client documents.- manage daily operations of office.
  • Manage document production with various internal departments for response to DCAA investigations and third party subpoenas.
  • Assist patent attorneys by managing invention disclosure documentation and relate correspondence with outside counsel and USPTO.
  • Relocate temporarily to Chicago, Illinois to facilitate and manage electronic discovery exchange in preparation for arbitration.
  • Perform administrative tasks for managing partner and trial attorney at a medical malpractice litigation firm including daily transcription and stenography.
  • Gather and prepare documents for binders/notebooks for depositions, arbitration, hearings/trial; manage incoming document production mostly for litigation purposes.
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Legal research assistant vs legal assistant skills

Common legal research assistant skills
  • Proofread, 15%
  • Contract Law, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 8%
  • Legal Memoranda, 4%
  • Legal Analysis, 3%
  • International Law, 3%
Common legal assistant skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Correspondence, 10%
  • Discovery Responses, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Law Firm, 5%
  • Subpoenas, 5%