Post job

Legal transcriptionist vs litigation legal assistant

The differences between legal transcriptionists 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 transcriptionist and a litigation legal assistant. Additionally, a litigation legal assistant has an average salary of $51,253, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a legal transcriptionist.

The top three skills for a legal transcriptionist include transcription, legal terminology and dictation. The most important skills for a litigation legal assistant are litigation, law firm, and trial preparation.

Legal transcriptionist vs litigation legal assistant overview

Legal TranscriptionistLitigation Legal Assistant
Yearly salary$48,622$51,253
Hourly rate$23.38$24.64
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs6,0479,152
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

What does a legal transcriptionist do?

A legal transcriptionist produces written transcriptions of audio recordings from various legal conversions such as consultations, interviews, and court proceedings. It is their responsibility to deliver accurate transcriptions, from dialogues to gestures and diction. To carry out their duties, they must maintain an active communication line with the employer, keep an eye out for errors and inconsistencies, and organize files accordingly. Moreover, a legal transcriptionist may directly work at government offices and legal firms. They can also work as independent contractors, typically working from home.

What does a litigation legal assistant do?

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 transcriptionist vs litigation legal assistant salary

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

Legal TranscriptionistLitigation Legal Assistant
Average salary$48,622$51,253
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $65,000Between $35,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Earthjustice
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between legal transcriptionist and litigation legal assistant education

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

Legal TranscriptionistLitigation Legal Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorBusinessLegal Support Services
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Legal transcriptionist vs litigation legal assistant demographics

Here are the differences between legal transcriptionists' and litigation legal assistants' demographics:

Legal TranscriptionistLitigation Legal Assistant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 6.5% Female, 93.5%Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 6.0% White, 62.3% 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 transcriptionist and litigation legal assistant duties and responsibilities

Legal transcriptionist example responsibilities.

  • Gather and prepare documents for binders/notebooks for depositions, arbitration, hearings/trial; manage incoming document production mostly for litigation purposes.
  • Own and operate successful transcription business, transcribing and producing medical reports for workers' compensation doctors.
  • Train incoming co-op to use SQL for cleaning and processing incoming data files.
  • Work from home transcribing court proceedings, hearings, examinations under oath, etc.
  • Prepare legal and court transcripts by deciphering and transcribing deposition audio from multiple formats.
  • Order subpoenas for records using ABI s website, log them in as received.
  • Show more

Litigation legal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and coordinate various aspects of major pharmaceutical litigation including budgeting, work scope plans, staffing and defense coordination.
  • Prepare and review all discovery materials, including depositions, subpoenas, interrogatories, interviews.
  • Prepare PowerPoint presentations for visual aids at trial and for inhouse presentations.
  • Review and respond to interrogatories and discovery.
  • Prepare answers to and draft interrogatories and document requests.
  • Prepare defensive pleadings, motions and affidavits including discovery.
  • Show more

Legal transcriptionist vs litigation legal assistant skills

Common legal transcriptionist skills
  • Transcription, 27%
  • Legal Terminology, 15%
  • Dictation, 15%
  • WPM, 14%
  • Headphones, 13%
  • Interrogatories, 5%
Common litigation legal assistant skills
  • Litigation, 23%
  • Law Firm, 9%
  • Trial Preparation, 6%
  • Legal Research, 4%
  • Travel Arrangements, 4%
  • Subpoenas, 4%