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The differences between legal specialists and litigation legal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a legal specialist, becoming a litigation legal assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a legal specialist has an average salary of $55,253, which is higher than the $51,253 average annual salary of a litigation legal assistant.
The top three skills for a legal specialist include legal support, legal research and proofreading. The most important skills for a litigation legal assistant are litigation, law firm, and trial preparation.
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $55,253 | $51,253 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $24.64 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 6,517 | 9,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A legal specialist is responsible for supporting an organization's legal department or law office by performing administrative duties to assist legal operations. Legal specialists are the clients' first point-of-contact, especially on scheduling appointments and responding to legal services inquiries and concerns. They also organize legal documents, prepare and write contracts, and help legal professionals with collecting information for their cases. A legal specialist must have comprehensive knowledge of the legal industry, including law processes and federal regulations.
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 specialists and litigation legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $55,253 | $51,253 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $98,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Orrick | Earthjustice |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal specialist and a litigation legal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between legal specialists' and litigation legal assistants' demographics:
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Legal Assistant | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5% | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 10% | 9% |