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The differences between litigation legal assistants and assistant paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a litigation legal assistant and an assistant paralegal. Additionally, an assistant paralegal has an average salary of $55,677, which is higher than the $51,253 average annual salary of a litigation legal assistant.
The top three skills for a litigation legal assistant include litigation, law firm and trial preparation. The most important skills for an assistant paralegal are law firm, litigation, and paralegals.
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $51,253 | $55,677 |
| Hourly rate | $24.64 | $26.77 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 9,152 | 6,331 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
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 legal assistants and assistant paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $51,253 | $55,677 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $30,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a litigation legal assistant and an assistant paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Political Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between litigation legal assistants' and assistant paralegals' demographics:
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 9% | 9% |