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The differences between litigation legal assistants and senior legal assistants 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 senior legal assistant. Additionally, a litigation legal assistant has an average salary of $51,253, which is higher than the $51,102 average annual salary of a senior legal assistant.
The top three skills for a litigation legal assistant include litigation, law firm and trial preparation. The most important skills for a senior legal assistant are litigation, legal research, and legal correspondence.
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Senior Legal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $51,253 | $51,102 |
| Hourly rate | $24.64 | $24.57 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 9,152 | 9,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
Senior legal assistants are responsible for managing junior-level assistants. They also support lawyers with various legal tasks such as conducting legal research, drafting documents, and hearing trials. These assistants must work with attorneys and clients to review various legal documents to ensure their accuracy and completeness. They gather documents for attorneys and prepare witnesses scheduled for court hearings. Senior legal assistants must also arrange the delivery of subpoenas while preparing the required affidavit of service.
Litigation legal assistants and senior legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Senior Legal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $51,253 | $51,102 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $36,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a litigation legal assistant and a senior legal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Senior Legal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between litigation legal assistants' and senior legal assistants' demographics:
| Litigation Legal Assistant | Senior Legal Assistant | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% | Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9% |
| 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, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |