How to hire a litigation associate

How to hire a litigation associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step litigation associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a litigation associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new litigation associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a litigation associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The litigation associate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A litigation associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, litigation associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of litigation associates.

   Type of Litigation Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Litigation Associate	Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.	$32-87
   Document Review Attorney	A Document Review Attorney reviews various types of legal documents, such as contract and employment law, intellectual property, and commercial litigation, to identify any areas of risk or information that may need correction.	$23-64
   Lawyer	A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts... Show more	$30-100

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Litigation
   • Law Firm
   • Legal Research
   • Commercial Litigation
   • Discovery Motions
   • Insurance Coverage
   • Civil Litigation
   • Intellectual Property
   • Pre-Trial Motions
   • Federal Courts
   • Arbitration
   • Mediation
   • Securities
   • Employment Law

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead and assist in out-of-court resolution of actions including settlement negotiations, mediation, and arbitration.
   • Manage all aspects of motion practice and discovery in class and institutional actions involving residential mortgage-backed securities investments.
   • Represent immigrants in deportation proceedings, federal litigation and appeals.
   • Participate in complex commercial litigation group, with matters involving insurance, entertainment, products liability, utilities and investment banking.
   • Research various aspects of family law, civil procedure, and tort law.
   • Ensure business compliance with FDCPA, HIPAA, ADA, and various other regulations.

   More litigation associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your litigation associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A litigation associate salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, litigation associates' average salary in montana is 60% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level litigation associates earn 63% less than senior-level litigation associates.
   • Certifications. A litigation associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a litigation associate's salary.

   Average litigation associate salary

   $112,116yearly

   $53.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level litigation associate salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average litigation associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$140,481	$68
   2	District of Columbia	$139,216	$67
   3	California	$122,604	$59
   4	Virginia	$121,199	$58
   5	Texas	$119,926	$58
   6	Colorado	$119,590	$58
   7	Illinois	$108,794	$52
   8	New Jersey	$108,661	$52
   9	Washington	$107,607	$52
   10	Massachusetts	$101,359	$49
   11	Nevada	$99,987	$48
   12	North Carolina	$99,566	$48
   13	Connecticut	$97,178	$47
   14	Maryland	$97,092	$47
   15	Oregon	$90,622	$44
   16	Florida	$89,298	$43
   17	Delaware	$87,952	$42
   18	Georgia	$85,577	$41
   19	Pennsylvania	$83,244	$40
   20	Minnesota	$82,847	$40

   Average litigation associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner	$225,348	$108.34
   2	Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough	$223,787	$107.59	17
   3	Seyfarth Shaw	$206,747	$99.40
   4	Davis Wright Tremaine	$206,045	$99.06	7
   5	Alston & Bird	$205,445	$98.77	2
   6	Sidley Austin	$204,666	$98.40	1
   7	Perkins Coie	$202,410	$97.31	39
   8	Cahill Gordon & Reindel	$200,638	$96.46
   9	Shearman & Sterling	$198,720	$95.54
   10	Morgan Lewis	$196,768	$94.60	4
   11	Greenberg Traurig	$194,148	$93.34	21
   12	Fenwick & West	$193,817	$93.18	4
   13	Ropes & Gray	$188,804	$90.77
   14	Goodwin	$188,298	$90.53	11
   15	Holland & Knight	$186,376	$89.60	45
   16	K&L Gates	$185,346	$89.11
   17	Covington & Burling	$183,675	$88.31	11
   18	McDermott Will & Emery	$183,481	$88.21	10
   19	McCarter & English	$181,286	$87.16
   20	White & Case	$180,743	$86.90	5

4. Writing a litigation associate job description

   A litigation associate job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a litigation associate job description:

   Litigation associate job description example

   DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be treated without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, gender identity, or any other factor protected by law. Job applicant poster viewing center.
   
   Come grow with us. DLA Piper is a place where each of us has the freedom to evolve and shape our careers. As you progress, you'll deliver exceptional, innovative solutions - and create outstanding, sustainable results for our industry-shaping clients. You will have the opportunity to be surrounded by peers who possess complimentary expertise that allow for collaboration in finding solutions, and the chance to direct your own growth and pursue a wide range of practice opportunities for clients with diverse needs. Your brightest ideas will enhance how one of the world's leading law firms combines practice-area expertise, modern industry insights and an expansive geographic footprint to help our clients shape their businesses and industries.
   
   DLA Piper is seeking attorneys with recent federal judicial clerkship experience to join our litigation department in any of our U.S. DLA Piper offices. Qualified applicants must be available to start in the Fall of 2022 and have a strong analytical abilities, excellent writing skills, and the requisite academic credentials. Candidates must be licensed, or currently eligible to become licensed, to practice in the state in which they are applying.
   The ideal candidate will be:
   Willing to learn from experienced and hungry litigators in the following areas: Commercial litigation Intellectual property Securities Class actions Investigations Creative, competitive and resourceful A team player unafraid of accountability and responsibility An excellent writer and oral communicator Excited to enhance a supportive and collaborative culture maintained by our talented group of young lawyers
   Applications must include a resume, law school transcript, and writing sample.
   
   Please apply online if you are a direct applicant. If you have a request for an accommodation during the application process or if you have any questions about the process, please contact Kelly Matthews.
   
   Direct applicants only. No third party submissions.
   
   Job Requirements:
   Attorneys with recent federal judicial clerkship experience Candidates must be licensed, or currently eligible to become licensed, in the state in which they are applying.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find litigation associates for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your litigation associate job on Zippia to find and recruit litigation associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting litigation associates requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new litigation associate

   Once you've decided on a perfect litigation associate candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new litigation associate. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a litigation associate?