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The differences between litigation legal assistants and paralegal specialists 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 a paralegal specialist. Additionally, a paralegal specialist has an average salary of $61,244, 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 a paralegal specialist are legal research, litigation, and government agencies.
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,253 | $61,244 |
| Hourly rate | $24.64 | $29.44 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 9,152 | 4,185 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
A Paralegal Specialist provides assistance to lawyers and does many of the same jobs that lawyers do. They work in various areas, such as family, environmental, or real estate law.
Litigation legal assistants and paralegal specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,253 | $61,244 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $35,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | DLA Piper |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a litigation legal assistant and a paralegal specialist in terms of educational background:
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between litigation legal assistants' and paralegal specialists' demographics:
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Paralegal Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% |
| 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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |