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Litigation paralegal vs executive legal assistant

The differences between litigation paralegals and executive 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 paralegal and an executive legal assistant. Additionally, a litigation paralegal has an average salary of $58,484, which is higher than the $53,442 average annual salary of an executive legal assistant.

The top three skills for a litigation paralegal include litigation, law firm and trial preparation. The most important skills for an executive legal assistant are powerpoint, expense reports, and litigation.

Litigation paralegal vs executive legal assistant overview

Litigation ParalegalExecutive Legal Assistant
Yearly salary$58,484$53,442
Hourly rate$28.12$25.69
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs5,13272,148
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

What does a litigation paralegal do?

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.

What does an executive legal assistant do?

An Executive Legal Assistant provides comprehensive support to lawyers and legal offices. They start as entry-level assistants before specializing in a field after a few years with experience; litigation, criminal law, family law, international law. Their duties include performing legal research by gathering case information for presentation, writing legal reports based on research and interviews, scheduling meetings, organizing travel arrangements, and organizing documentation for easy accessibility. An Executive Legal Assistant must be well organized, analytical research skills, and experience in case management. They typically spend long work hours spent in libraries and offices, requiring occasional travel.

Litigation paralegal vs executive legal assistant salary

Litigation paralegals and executive legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Litigation ParalegalExecutive Legal Assistant
Average salary$58,484$53,442
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $83,000Between $37,000 And $75,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyGooglePayPal
Best paying industryProfessionalTelecommunication

Differences between litigation paralegal and executive legal assistant education

There are a few differences between a litigation paralegal and an executive legal assistant in terms of educational background:

Litigation ParalegalExecutive Legal Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorLegal Support ServicesBusiness
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Litigation paralegal vs executive legal assistant demographics

Here are the differences between litigation paralegals' and executive legal assistants' demographics:

Litigation ParalegalExecutive Legal Assistant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 24.4% Female, 75.6%Male, 8.7% Female, 91.3%
Race ratioBlack 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, 21.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between litigation paralegal and executive legal assistant duties and responsibilities

Litigation paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Achieve sole responsibility for administration of all estates and guardianships.
  • Deliver PowerPoint presentations to various legal groups with regard to managing discovery.
  • Assist patent attorneys by managing invention disclosure documentation and relate correspondence with outside counsel and USPTO.
  • Organize and computer-log hundreds of litigation files, ranging from asbestos exposure to product liability cases.
  • Assist attorneys with all aspects of litigation from preliminary motions through discovery and preparations for arbitration or trial.
  • Proofread and edit legal documents.
  • Show more

Executive legal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage transactions involving the sale or purchase of publicly trade securities, both equity and debt instruments.
  • Manage litigation discovery process, including coordinating electronic and tangible document production, as well as litigation record hold obligations.
  • Provide administrative support to attorneys with mergers and acquisitions and due diligence procedures.
  • Prepare legal documents, assist clients with their legal needs, notary, general office duties
  • Complete & record minutes of meetings, using a variety of shorthand, or machine transcription.
  • Provide notary assistance as requested.
  • Show more

Litigation paralegal vs executive legal assistant skills

Common litigation paralegal skills
  • Litigation, 22%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Trial Preparation, 7%
  • Legal Research, 7%
  • Subpoenas, 7%
  • Discovery Responses, 5%
Common executive legal assistant skills
  • PowerPoint, 11%
  • Expense Reports, 9%
  • Litigation, 9%
  • Law Firm, 7%
  • Real Estate, 5%
  • Calendar Management, 4%