How to hire a trial attorney

How to hire a trial attorney, step by step

Here's a step-by-step trial attorney hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a trial attorney job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new trial attorney
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a trial attorney do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The trial attorney hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A trial attorney's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, trial attorneys from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of trial attorneys and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Trial Attorney	Description	Hourly rate
   Trial Attorney	Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.	$35-79
   Housing Counselor	A Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.	$20-69
   Legal Counsel	A Legal Counsel supervises the legal aspects of a business. They give accurate and timely counsel to executives on a variety of legal topics, such as labor law, partnerships, or international ventures.	$38-103

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Litigation
   • Legal Research
   • Property Damage
   • Legal Advice
   • Legal Issues
   • Civil Litigation
   • Appeals
   • Arbitration
   • PIP
   • Bodily Injury
   • Plaintiff
   • Legal Opinions
   • District Court
   • Law Firm

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead trial attorney in general practice litigation firm managing a diverse portfolio of cases representing individuals face with difficult legal problems.
   • Recommend initiation of litigation and appeals.
   • Research and draft numerous criminal appeals and perform oral arguments in defense thereof.
   • Conduct trials in complex class action litigation involving cemetery claims of allege mistreatment of remains and emotional distress without bodily injury.
   • Prepare, argue and litigate a large roster of plaintiff cases involving automobile accidents and tort claims.
   • General practice of law including plaintiff and insurance defense personal injury representation.

   More trial attorney duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the trial attorney job description is a good way to get more applicants. A trial attorney salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a trial attorney in Missouri may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level trial attorney. Additionally, a trial attorney with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average trial attorney salary

   $110,340yearly

   $53.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level trial attorney salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average trial attorney salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$131,824	$63
   2	California	$129,850	$62
   3	Colorado	$110,814	$53
   4	Arizona	$106,886	$51
   5	Utah	$106,108	$51
   6	Washington	$106,069	$51
   7	Nevada	$105,914	$51
   8	New York	$105,639	$51
   9	Texas	$100,605	$48
   10	Oregon	$97,706	$47
   11	Florida	$95,719	$46
   12	Pennsylvania	$95,198	$46
   13	New Jersey	$93,274	$45
   14	Massachusetts	$93,118	$45
   15	Illinois	$88,565	$43
   16	Louisiana	$87,795	$42
   17	Georgia	$85,850	$41
   18	Tennessee	$79,859	$38
   19	Iowa	$77,098	$37
   20	Ohio	$66,762	$32

   Average trial attorney salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith	$141,664	$68.11	127
   2	U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission	$135,447	$65.12
   3	AIG	$125,995	$60.57
   4	Commonwealth	$113,036	$54.34	20
   5	CNA Insurance	$110,915	$53.32	1
   6	The Thompson Law Office	$110,652	$53.20	14
   7	Zurich	$109,892	$52.83	23
   8	The Hanover Insurance Group	$109,488	$52.64	1
   9	Randstad North America, Inc.	$107,347	$51.61
   10	Kemper	$106,545	$51.22	8
   11	Selective Insurance	$106,440	$51.17	3
   12	Creative Solutions Services	$105,852	$50.89
   13	CNA Holding Corporation	$105,805	$50.87	1
   14	American Family Insurance	$104,609	$50.29	10
   15	Reno, NV	$103,661	$49.84	1
   16	Kimball	$102,270	$49.17
   17	JBA International	$101,806	$48.95	208
   18	Robert Half	$100,719	$48.42	293
   19	Catholic Community Service	$99,664	$47.92	2
   20	Psg	$98,710	$47.46

4. Writing a trial attorney job description

   A job description for a trial attorney role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a trial attorney job description:

   Trial attorney job description example

   Are you a driven, organized litigation attorney with a passion for helping others? Are you excited by the prospect of joining a team of experienced legal professionals assisting injury victims? Do you enjoy having fun with co-workers in a casual environment, while delivering record setting service and results? If so, Thompson Law LLP is the right firm for you.
   
   Thompson Law’s vision is to be the law firm of choice for every person injured or killed due to preventable tragedy, while providing our clients world class service and record-setting results. We have built a spectacular team that delivers on those ideals.
   
   In 2021 alone, Thompson Law claimed 3 of the Top 20, 15 of the Top 50, and 39 of the top 100 personal injury settlements in the State of Texas (Top Verdict).
   
   Clients who have suffered a life-disrupting injury due to the negligence of others place their trust in us to help put them on the best path forward. We are looking for dynamic litigation attorneys who understand the importance of client service, the complexities of medical treatment in personal injury cases, and have the desire to shepherd our clients through the settlement process and try cases to verdict.
   
   Delivering record-setting results for our clients while providing the highest level of client service is why our firm is one of the most rapidly growing and successful personal injury firms in the highly competitive DFW market and across Texas. With our current litigation attorney opening, you can be a part of this mission and our unparalleled growth.
   
   Thompson Law, located in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, is seeking a personal injury litigation attorney to manage all aspects of litigation and trial. Unlike many litigation positions, this position will involve handling cases that are regularly taken to a jury verdict. If you want the opportunity to try cases, this position will provide you with the opportunities and resources to make it happen. You will be a part of a fast-paced team environment and will have all the needed support to allow you to focus on the proper workup of all cases in preparation for settlement or trial. The position will have a dedicated litigation paralegal assisting on all cases, and further, medical records clerks will obtain and organize all medical records related to the client’s file.
   Minimum Qualifications: 3-15 years' experience, preferably, with at least 3 years of personal injury related experience. Overall organization and attention to detail are absolutely necessary. This role will require the hands-on management of your cases. Willingness and ability to interact with clients, adjusters, and other lawyers/paralegals over the phone and in person. A desire to try cases and enjoy your work. Preferred Qualifications: Spanish speaking. Personal injury litigation experience. Prior trial experience. Benefits: The position offers a competitive above market salary along with full benefits, including health insurance (employee 100% paid by firm), paid time off, paid holidays, generous yearly bonus, and a 401(k) with employer matching contributions, to name a few. If you are interested in this opportunity, please provide your resume. Thanks for your interest and we look forward to hearing from you. Powered by JazzHR uRUMeMldKn

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right trial attorney for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your trial attorney job on Zippia to find and recruit trial attorney candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting trial attorneys requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new trial attorney

   Once you've found the trial attorney candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new trial attorney. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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