Legal
A litigation paralegal supports attorneys through every phase of a lawsuit, from pleadings and discovery to trial preparation. The role keeps cases organized and on schedule, which lets trial lawyers focus on strategy and advocacy.
Median pay
$62,890a year
Paralegals and legal assistants, U.S. BLS, May 2025
The role
Employers hire litigation paralegals when active case counts grow, when discovery becomes heavy, or when an upcoming trial needs organized, day-to-day preparation.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
Paralegal certificate or bachelor's degree with two to six years of litigation experience; CP or RP credentials are a plus.
At a glance
The essentials for planning the hire: level, background, how you can hire and what the role typically pays.
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FAQ
Straight answers to the questions employers and candidates ask about this role.
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A litigation paralegal supports attorneys through every phase of a lawsuit, from pleadings and discovery to trial preparation. The role keeps cases organized and on schedule, which lets trial lawyers focus on strategy and advocacy. Typical responsibilities include: draft pleadings, discovery requests and responses for attorney review; organize and summarize deposition transcripts and case documents; manage court filings, service and litigation deadlines.
Look for discovery practice, deposition summaries, court filing, trial preparation, legal research and case management. Experience with Relativity, CaseMap, Westlaw, Clio and TrialDirector is common in this role.
Yes. A litigation paralegal is one of the roles employers most often hire on contract, for projects, busy periods, leave cover and vacancies. Contract-to-hire is also an option if you want to work together before making a permanent offer.
If cases regularly go to trial, yes, because trial preparation involves exhibits, witness logistics and tight deadlines. For firms that mostly settle or handle pretrial work, strong discovery and pleadings experience may be more useful.
Basic tasks, such as managing productions and working in a review platform, often fall to experienced paralegals. Large or complex data sets generally need an e-discovery specialist. Ask candidates which platforms they have used and the size of past projects.
Related roles
Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
