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The differences between litigation associates and assistant paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a litigation associate, becoming an assistant paralegal takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a litigation associate has an average salary of $112,116, which is higher than the $55,677 average annual salary of an assistant paralegal.
The top three skills for a litigation associate include litigation, law firm and legal research. The most important skills for an assistant paralegal are law firm, litigation, and paralegals.
| Litigation Associate | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $112,116 | $55,677 |
| Hourly rate | $53.90 | $26.77 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 9,779 | 6,331 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A Litigation Associate offers legal advice for individuals involved in lawsuits and represents them in court. They prepare pleading, collect evidence, defend depositions, and manage the client database.
Assistant paralegals are legal professionals who plan, develop, and manage cases. The assistant paralegals collect and arrange evidence and legal documents for review by attorneys and case preparation. They draft correspondence, document responses, discoveries, and pleadings. It is their duty to analyze and either write or summarize reports so that attorneys can prepare for their trials. They contact and have a conference with their clients. Among the skills the paralegal assistant needs to possess include communication, writing, research, organization, and confidentiality.
Litigation associates and assistant paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Litigation Associate | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $112,116 | $55,677 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $182,000 | Between $30,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | White Plains, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a litigation associate and an assistant paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Litigation Associate | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Law | Political Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between litigation associates' and assistant paralegals' demographics:
| Litigation Associate | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |