{"id":17277,"date":"2019-09-09T07:00:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T12:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=17277"},"modified":"2022-04-19T20:04:16","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T20:04:16","slug":"careers-in-law-what-does-a-litigator-do-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/lsat\/careers-in-law-what-does-a-litigator-do-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Careers in Law: What Does a Litigator Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Litigators are what a lot of people picture when they think of the stereotypical attorney: a lawyer who spends a great deal of time in the courtroom and files lawsuits, lawsuits, lawsuits. But litigation is actually a huge legal field, comprising several different\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/blog.lawkick.com\/types-of-lawyers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">careers in law<\/a>, and the job description of a litigator can vary widely. Let\u2019s take a look at some general information.<\/p>\n<p><div  style=' margin-top:30px; margin-bottom:4px;'  class='hr hr-custom hr-center hr-icon-no  0  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first '><span class='hr-inner  inner-border-av-border-none' style=' width:50px;' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_heading  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >What is a litigator?<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nLitigators represent plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/legalcareers.about.com\/od\/glossary\/g\/Litigators.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">manage all phases of the litigation process:<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Investigation<\/li>\n<li>Pleadings<\/li>\n<li>Discovery<\/li>\n<li>Pre-trial<\/li>\n<li>Trial<\/li>\n<li>Settlement<\/li>\n<li>Appeal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >What is the average salary for a litigator?<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nAccording to Payscale, the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.payscale.com\/research\/US\/Job=Litigation_Attorney\/Salary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">median salary for a litigator<\/a>\u00a0is just over $87,000, with the highest paid specialized litigation careers in law being Complex Litigation Case Management and Legal Research. Keep in mind that salary numbers vary widely by region and specialization, as well.<br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >What are litigation careers in law actually like?<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nWhat exactly a\u00a0litigator does with most of their workday depends a lot on whether the attorney is a sole practitioner at a small firm or work at a big firm.<\/p>\n<p>Big firm litigators\u00a0have different duties based on seniority. When you start out, you\u2019re doing a lot of research and writing memos. Your first exposure to court is likely either sitting in the gallery observing or arguing a motion. You may also get to argue in Small Claims Court, a great way to gain experience.<\/p>\n<p>Your burgeoning career in law will consist of a great deal of contact with your client and opposing counsel. Most of your (very long) days will either behind your desk or in the library. For litigators at small firms or operating independently, the experience tends to be more of a mix between research\/office work and actual trial experience.<br \/>\nBut every litigator remembers her\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.lightfootlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/FirstTrial.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">first real trial<\/a>\u2014either as first or, more likely, second chair. Even though it may be months between trials (the vast majority of cases settle before they get to court), trial time is crazy. Think of it as a way to make up for those long months sitting behind a computer or cracking the research books. During a trial you operate on adrenaline, caffeine and probably 3-5 hours of sleep a night. It is certainly the most exciting part of practice.<br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >What are the advantages of a career as a litigator?<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nJamie Collins, a litigation paralegal, explains some of the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/legalcareers.about.com\/od\/legalcareerbasics\/a\/Litigation-Law-Part-I.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rewards of a career in litigation:<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Assisting clients in litigation is rewarding.<\/li>\n<li>Each case tells a different story.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation pays well.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation work is diverse.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation is relatively recession-proof.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation work breeds independence.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation provides an opportunity to gain trial experience.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation is exhilarating and rewarding.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation offers transferrable career skills.<\/li>\n<li>Litigation inspires passion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_testimonials  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Hearing from a Litigator<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div   data-autoplay='1'  data-interval='5'  data-animation='fade'  data-hoverpause='1'  class='avia-testimonial-wrapper avia-grid-testimonials avia-grid-2-testimonials avia_animate_when_almost_visible   '>\n<section class ='avia-testimonial-row'><div class='avia-testimonial av_one_half flex_column no_margin avia-testimonial-row-1 avia-first-testimonial' ><div class='avia-testimonial_inner'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia-testimonial-image'  itemprop=\"image\"  ><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-content '  ><div class='avia-testimonial-markup-entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>When we&#8217;re not talking specifically\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/lsat\">about the LSAT<\/a>, one of the most common questions\u00a0my students\u00a0ask is \u201cwhat did you do when you were a lawyer?\u201d Thinking back on my own experience\u00a0applying to law school\u00a0(and I was one of those \u201cwanted to be a lawyer ever since I was a little kid\u201d applicants), I realize that my ideas of legal practice and the truth of the matter were very different \u2013 even though my own mother is a lawyer and I had visited her firm on numerous occasions (and even did a bit of work there).<\/p>\n<p>So, today&#8217;s post is devoted to sharing my experiences as a commercial litigator, to give you a taste of what (at least some) lawyers actually do.<\/p>\n<p>First, let&#8217;s clear up a very common misconception about litigators: we actually spend very little time in the courtroom. If you&#8217;re a court junkie, then criminal law is definitely the way to go \u2013 other than elite level partners who get called in to spearhead civil trials, only criminal lawyers spend most of their day in court. Most litigators, on the other hand, spend the vast majority of their time in the office. What exactly you do depends a lot on whether you&#8217;re a sole practitioner\/at a small firm or at a big firm.<\/p>\n<p>Big firm litigators have different duties based on seniority. When you start out, you&#8217;re doing a lot of research and writing memos. Your first exposure to court is likely either sitting in the gallery observing or arguing a motion. If you&#8217;re lucky, as I was, you may also get to argue in Small Claims Court (in my case it was a ground-breaking trial for a major client, whose prized leather coat was ruined by the dry cleaner \u2013 OK, it may not have been precedent-setting, but it was exciting for me!).<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll also have contact with your client and opposing counsel; however, you&#8217;ll spend most of your (very long) days either behind your desk or in the library.<\/p>\n<p>Every litigator remembers his first real trial \u2013 either as first or, more likely, second chair. Even though it may be months between trials (the vast majority of cases settle before they get to court), trial time is crazy! During the trial you&#8217;re operating on adrenaline, caffeine and probably 3-5 hours of sleep a night. For me, anyway, it was certainly the most exciting part of the practice.<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers in other practice areas have vastly different experiences. As you&#8217;re\u00a0<a title=\"Kaplan LSAT Home Page\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/lsat\/lsat-courses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">prepping for the LSAT<\/a>, reach out to lawyers you know or adjunct profs at the local law school to see what you&#8217;ll actually be doing with the rest of your life. Law school is a huge investment (of both time and money), so the more information you get about law as a career the more informed a decision you&#8217;ll make (and, as an added bonus, the more \u201creal\u201d your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/lsat\/how-to-write-a-law-school-personal-statement\/\">personal statements<\/a>\u00a0can be).<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s some good news for your investigations: I&#8217;ve never met a lawyer who didn&#8217;t like to talk about what she does.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-meta'><div class='avia-testimonial-arrow-wrap'><div class='avia-arrow'><\/div><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-meta-mini'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><strong  class='avia-testimonial-name'    itemprop=\"name\" >Stuart Kovinsky<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><br \/>\n\t<div  style='background:#ffffff;color:#444444;border-color:#7825ff;' class='av_promobox  avia-button-no   avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_testimonials  el_before_av_sidebar '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><p>\nRELATED:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/bar\/law-school-1l\/\">What to Expect as an L1<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/bar\/law-school-success\/\">Top Tips for Law School Success<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/bar\/law-school-life\/\">What is law school like?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<i>As you learn about possible careers in law, work towards getting into a top law school that can take you there. Sign up for an <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/lsat\/courses\/lsat-bootcamp-online\"><i>online LSAT Bootcamp<\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0to earn your highest score.<\/i><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_promobox  avia-builder-el-last '><div id=\"text-68\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"b09e45baf32bb094b1db7ecb7bbced76db6d5ddeedea46d11ddd040e8de23baa\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div id=\"text-69\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"47f64185b039c44474f0041fb26ab7c506845672b7ebef37d1d95bc82f27b02f\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Litigators are what a lot of people picture when they think of the stereotypical attorney: a lawyer who spends a great deal of time in the courtroom and files lawsuits, lawsuits, lawsuits. But litigation is actually a huge legal field, comprising several different\u00a0careers in law, and the job description of a litigator can vary widely. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28380,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[386],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17277"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40471,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17277\/revisions\/40471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}