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The differences between litigation associates and trial attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a litigation associate and a trial attorney. Additionally, a litigation associate has an average salary of $112,116, which is higher than the $110,340 average annual salary of a trial attorney.
The top three skills for a litigation associate include litigation, law firm and legal research. The most important skills for a trial attorney are litigation, legal research, and property damage.
| Litigation Associate | Trial Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $112,116 | $110,340 |
| Hourly rate | $53.90 | $53.05 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,779 | 7,253 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Trial attorneys are responsible for representing and defending clients in court. Trial attorneys must have excellent legal research skills to assess pieces of evidence and examining relevant judicial decisions to support the client's claims. A trial attorney should also provide legal advice for the clients and guide them through the legal procedures depending on the severity of the case. Trial attorneys must be able to develop trial strategies and arguments in the court to win the judge and the trial jury's decision.
Litigation associates and trial attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Litigation Associate | Trial Attorney | |
| Average salary | $112,116 | $110,340 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $182,000 | Between $73,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | White Plains, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a litigation associate and a trial attorney in terms of educational background:
| Litigation Associate | Trial Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between litigation associates' and trial attorneys' demographics:
| Litigation Associate | Trial Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| 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, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |