Litigation Paralegals are an important part of the legal system. They assist in legal offices, law firms, and corporations. The job is not only limited to the desk, but it also involves creating equitable access to legal aid. A job as a paralegal consists of many aspects, one of which is as a litigation paralegal(LPs). This involves drafting documents, interviewing clients, and filing motions. check out all details about online law school.

The demand for LPs is growing day by day. It is because they provide a cheaper alternative for legal services. In this article, we are going to present a deep insight into litigation paralegal skills. We are also going to discuss litigation paralegal jobs, litigation paralegal salary, and other fields in a paralegal career.

Skills required to become a Litigation Paralegal

The LPs job requires you to have a number of soft skills in order for you to make a mark on the field. Let us start off by talking about Litigation Paralegal skills. These skills can be listed as –

• Multi-tasking– Paralegals must master the ability to multi-task. They should understand which task to prioritize and which do not. They get a lot of assignments and documents to work with. They also have to meet multiple clients. Also find out paralegal job description

This field requires you to work smartly.

• Communication Skills– Litigation Paralegal have to meet a lot of clients regularly. They have to talk to people for research purposes, write statements of witnesses, and do other duties as work. A paralegal is the lawyer’s right hand and he must know about expressing his/her thoughts clearly.
• Writing– Paralegals have to write a lot. They draft documents, pleadings, and other legal papers. Good writing skill is an important prerequisite for being a successful paralegal. Writing is integral in this field. The field of law contains complex language and that’s why the presentation of the words should be accurate.
• Thinking Ahead- Paralegal should be smart and clever in his thinking. His anticipation should be excellent. Instinctiveness is a very important attribute in the legal profession.
• Organizational skills– Most of the Litigation Paralegal(LP)jobs are document-intensive. The paralegals are tasked with classifying documents, categorizing, and organizing the paperwork for the lawyer. This is a time-intensive job but with more and more experience, you will learn to do it quickly.
  Being organized is not only related to desk work, but it also means managing different personalities. You have to move out of your comfort zone to do well in this job.
• Researching- Research is very important to understand various cases.  Analyzing cases require a lot of internet research. You must learn to pick up the best reference to solidify your research results,
• Technical Skills- This is related to technological talent. Paralegal professionals should be well versed with some of the computer soft wares. He should master his ability in spreadsheets, databases, e-filing, presentation software, etc. Versatility and good technical skills can give you an edge over others in the competitive market.
• Teamwork- Many lawyers have a large legal team. This means teamwork is very essential in this field. The legal team generally consists of associates, co-workers, legal secretaries, etc. Collaborating with each member is an important part of this job. Working with experts, clients, and others is an indispensable skill.
• Professionalism– The most important attribute of a paralegal is professionalism. Professionalism is a very important foundation for a successful career in the legal field. You must respect the privacy and confidentiality of the clients. The ethical skills are very necessary for the field of a paralegal.
  The paralegal has to maintain a cool head and a higher level of integrity. This is because they handle private documents and private information on individuals.
• Studious- To become a successful paralegal, you should be studious. This is a job where you will have to read a lot. You will need to keep an eye on the latest updates regularly because laws are dynamic. Any ignorance on your part can ruin the case of your client.  Student may also explore how to become a paralegal

Litigation Paralegal-Different Types

There are a number of LPs jobs available. The job of a litigation paralegal varies according to different fields. We are going to throw light on various types-

• Main job– Primarily, the paralegals job description involves working with trial attorneys and performing various functions during the litigation process. They are an important part of the legal team. They generally perform routine duties such as photocopying, printing, scanning documents, arranging them together, etc.
  They prepare documents in an organized way so that they can be presented in court. They maintain litigation files, prepare and review material for storage or disposal after the closing of the case.
  Besides office duties, litigation paralegal(LP) is also called upon to help in depositions, research, and witness protection. They are also present in trials as an assistant to the attorney during court proceedings. You can also check details about paralegal requirements

The other fields in which you can dabble in while being a litigation paralegals are as follows – 

1. Corporate field
2. Patent law
3. Marketing
4. Production companies

There are a whole number of other avenues that become available to you as a litigation paralegal. However, for the sake of simplicity and time management, let us go with these four only for our intents and purposes. 

A corporate field is the most ideal playground for a litigation paralegals. This is mainly because a number of the big corporations are almost always embroiled in some or the other lawsuit. In order to avoid any damages or payouts, they have a revolving door of lawyers and paralegals. And not just any lawyers or paralegals, but those who know about litigation. 

A similar skillset is also desired when dealing with patent laws. Often, patent infringements involve suits that can drag on for ages. So, it stands to reason to hire someone who knows how to deal with it over the long haul. And so, it comes as little to no surprise that lawyers tend to prefer paralegals with experience and so they naturally pick litigation paralegals. 

Marketing however, is a whole different ballgame. This mainly because of the company’s zeal to market their product far and wide. This overzealousness often results in bogus claims that have a tendency to attract lawsuits. So, marketing departments often hire paralegals to stop the marketing team from getting ahead of themselves and costing them millions later. 

Last but not the least from our list is production companies. They are an embodiment of everything that we talked about just before. So, they have a whole host of different needs and not the budget to cater to them all individually. So, they cut corners and hire LPs instead. This allows them a great deal of flexibility and tight budgeting. 

Litigation Paralegal Job Description – Courses

The paralegal job description does not contain the compulsion of a degree and a certificate. However, if you are certified or have a degree in it, you will get preference in some of the posts. There are a variety of courses that can prepare you very well in the legal field. One can also reach out at paralegal schools near me for more clarification and information. The various types of courses are:

• Associate Degrees- An associate degree in paralegal studies helps students in understanding the basic principles of the paralegal field. It includes general education as well. It takes 2 years to complete an associate degree. The topics in this course include Introduction to law, civil litigation, legal ethics, and legal writing.
  Students are also provided options for electives. Electives allow students to study different types of subjects in the direction of their professional and personal interests which include criminal law, environmental law, labor law, and tax law.

• Four –Year degree- A bachelor’s degree in Litigation Paralegal studies takes four years to get complete. A total of 120 credit hours are completed in this course. Coursework includes required general education subjects, core paralegal subjects, elective subjects, and upper-division legal courses.
  
  After completing the bachelor degree programs, students will gain knowledge about the duties of a paralegal, and understand the essential techniques required to assist lawyers. Graduates are accepted in law offices, legal firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
  The skills acquired by the students in this degree include drafting and editing legal documents, motions, and other court documents. They learn to apply their knowledge to the given tasks and they learn about advanced legal research and discovery tasks. check out paralegal degree

• Master degree course– This course is for those who want to pursue advanced studies in the legal field. Paralegal master programs take two years to complete. It requires the student to complete an independent project.
  The master’s degree program has two programs. One is the accelerated program which lasts for one year. The other one is a flexible program that can be completed in three years. After completing it, students will be able to effectively conduct legal research and analysis in multiple areas of law.
  They will get opportunities in law offices, corporate legal departments, government agencies, or non-profit organizations.

• Certification Exam– To become a certified legal assistant, one should pass a certification test. Paralegal organizations such as the National Association of Legal Assistants offer certification such as Certified legal Assistant (CLA) and Certified Paralegals (CP).
  
  These certifications require the students to pass the test and pursue continuing education. They are accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). you can also check details about paralegal certification

Litigation paralegal salaries – Opportunities 

The most experienced paralegal’s average annual salary is around $55000.The national average litigation paralegal salary is around $50,000. A fresh LPs average annual salary is around $43000. A somewhat experienced paralegal’s average annual salary is around $50000. The state-wise breakdown is as follows for the highest paying ones- 

• New York- $58,750
• Florida- $50,000
• Texas- $56,270
• Illinois- $57,180
• California – $61,120 

These high salaries are usually possible because of two main reasons. Firstly, because of the high crime rates within the metropolitan cities within the states. This allows for more cases and more earnings. As you move towards the central zone of the countries, the wages tend to go down because of the reduced crimes and earning opportunities. 

Another reason for these inflated litigation paralegal salaries is the inflated cost of living. The more you have to spend in a city, the more you will have to earn to sustain yourself within the states. So there is a great trade off here. Hence, this is worth keeping in mind before you decide to up and move around in search of a higher salary

There are plenty of job opportunities in this field. They are a cheaper alternative as compared to the lawyers. That is why most of the corporates are now appointing Litigation Paralegal in their legal department. Paralegals are helping them by cutting their cost of production.

According to the Bureau of Labor Standards, the job of the paralegal is expected to grow by 15% by 2026. BLS has predicted that paralegal jobs will show the strongest trend in finance firms, consulting firms, insurance firms, and real estate. One can also check details about paralegal training

Workload

The Litigation Paralegal field has to work 40 hours a week on average. It is a very studious job and the majority of your time will go in the desk job. However, with more and more experience, you will gain the necessary skill and master your job. It is a challenging job but the pay is good. 

If you are interested in this challenging and exciting career, then go for it. This is a growing field. There is a wide range of job opportunities available in this field. If you enjoy investigating, writing, and researching this field is made for you. The atmosphere in this job is engaging and fast-paced. It is an exciting job.

With that being said, we believe we have covered most of the important things surrounding the job of a litigation paralegals. There is immense scope for growth within it and plenty of room to branch out in. In case you are someone who enjoys long drawn court battles where you have to test your wit, then this is just the field for you. Now, we bid farewell and in case you have any more queries regarding this, then do be sure to let us know about them down below. We are here to help after all! One can visit our homepage Online schools near me