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Legal research assistant vs senior legal assistant

The differences between legal research assistants and senior 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 senior legal assistant. Additionally, a legal research assistant has an average salary of $52,497, which is higher than the $51,102 average annual salary of a senior legal assistant.

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

Legal research assistant vs senior legal assistant overview

Legal Research AssistantSenior Legal Assistant
Yearly salary$52,497$51,102
Hourly rate$25.24$24.57
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs52,2459,152
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

Legal research assistant vs senior legal assistant salary

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

Legal Research AssistantSenior Legal Assistant
Average salary$52,497$51,102
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $74,000Between $36,000 And $70,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkPennsylvania
Best paying companyNew York State Bar AssociationGoogle
Best paying industryReal EstateProfessional

Differences between legal research assistant and senior legal assistant education

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

Legal Research AssistantSenior Legal Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorLawBusiness
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Legal research assistant vs senior legal assistant demographics

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

Legal Research AssistantSenior Legal Assistant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 44.8% Female, 55.2%Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9%
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, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between legal research assistant and senior 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.
  • Show more

Senior legal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Perform administrative tasks for managing partner and trial attorney at a medical malpractice litigation firm including daily transcription and stenography.
  • Handle collections, probate, estate planning, real estate and corporate work.
  • Interview witnesses, prepare declarations, and draft responses to interrogatories and requests for production.
  • Prepare lawsuits from complaint through judgment and garnishment for foreclosures, probate, and loss mitigation.
  • Develop numerous PowerPoint presentations for conferences and teachings.
  • Develop PowerPoint presentations, reports and legal documents.
  • Show more

Legal research assistant vs senior 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 senior legal assistant skills
  • Litigation, 15%
  • Legal Research, 7%
  • Legal Correspondence, 6%
  • Legal Support, 5%
  • Discovery Responses, 5%
  • Subpoenas, 5%