Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between litigation paralegals 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 paralegal and an assistant paralegal. Additionally, a litigation paralegal has an average salary of $58,484, which is higher than the $55,677 average annual salary of an assistant paralegal.
The top three skills for a litigation paralegal include litigation, law firm and trial preparation. The most important skills for an assistant paralegal are law firm, litigation, and paralegals.
| Litigation Paralegal | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $58,484 | $55,677 |
| Hourly rate | $28.12 | $26.77 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 5,132 | 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 paralegal is a specialist who is responsible for assisting attorneys throughout the trial process. On the plaintiff side, litigation paralegals conduct initial client interviews and legal research for case preparations. They assist with the preliminary examinations of witnesses and jury selection in the courtroom. Litigation paralegals often assist attorneys with case settlements and help identify issues for appeals. They must also possess excellent skills in verbal and written communication and should have great attention in detail.
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 paralegals and assistant paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Litigation Paralegal | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $58,484 | $55,677 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $83,000 | Between $30,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a litigation paralegal and an assistant paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Litigation Paralegal | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Political Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between litigation paralegals' and assistant paralegals' demographics:
| Litigation Paralegal | Assistant Paralegal | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 5.7% 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% |