Litigation Attorney

The mention of an attorney is enough for me to be reminded of John Grisham's law related books like The Appeal. The lawyers and attorneys portrayed in these fictions are so amazing! They are intelligent, sexy, good looking, fierce competitors in the courtroom, at the same time extremely sensitive and loving towards their families. I mean at one point of time I even felt like going for a law course! Nevertheless, the point of mentioning all this was to get your attention to lawyers and litigation attorneys. These are also referred to as trial lawyers or litigators. These handle civil cases and represent plaintiffs and defendants in civil as well as criminal cases. More about them to follow.

Litigation Attorney Job Description

There are a number of things involved in a typical case for an attorney and there are different types of attorneys. Take a look at what all is a litigator responsible for.

Task 1
A basic task a trial lawyer does is that he or she carries out a preliminary investigation for making sure that there is adequate evidence for filing a lawsuit. Conversely in the case of the defendant, whether the evidence is enough to defend that individual. This initial investigation can involve finding witnesses, taking their statements, interviewing the client, gathering requisite documents and investigating the facts leading to the potential case. Apart from this, litigators also engage in pre-litigation and trial settlement discussions for resolution of matters, prior to a lawsuit being filed.

Task 2
Litigators draft a number of pleadings and motions, for representing the plaintiff or defendant. Typically, the summons and complaint are drafted by the plaintiff's attorney for commencing the lawsuit. The defendant's attorney responds on behalf of the defendant to the summons.

Task 3
This task of a litigation attorney is referred to as discovery. Here typically, the parties involved in the case exchange information related to the case. Interrogatives, depositions and a few other devices are used by civil litigators for getting vital information related to the law suit. This is important for the attorneys for the purpose of obtaining related information, identify issues and formulating a case strategy.

Task 4
Another important thing an attorney is responsible for is the pre-trial stage, for which the attorneys get done with the discovery weeks prior to the trial. That is when the pre-trial meetings happen. If the case settled at the pre-trial stage, then the attorney will not have to see the courtroom for that trial. Even for the pre-trial they consult and advise their clients. A litigation lawyer also comes up with a trial strategy based on the facts and evidence. Drafting and arguing pre-trial motions is also done by them. Steps towards a possible lawsuit settlement are taken by the attorney in this stage.

Task 5
This is where a litigator's law skills are tested. If the case is not settled in the pre-trial stage, the attorney has to work all the way, to present as strongly as he or can in front of the judge. Cross examination, examination, opening and closing statements are a very important part of a trial.

Apart from this on occasions, a litigator may settle a case at any juncture during the period of litigation. Finally, if the outcome if the trial is not satisfactory according to him/ her, he or she has the right to appeal in a higher court.

Salary of a Litigation Attorney

An individual's experience and his position matter a lot when it comes to the salary. On an average, the nationwide pay for an attorney is around $120,000, starting from $61,000. This amount can fluctuate depending on the region he or she is practicing. For instance, average salary in Northeast is $145,000, in Southeast it is $120,000 and in the Northwest, it is $110,000. All these figures are per annum.

The resume of a litigation attorney can contain salary expectations attached with it. But another intangible thing which cannot be put there are the wishes of those who have been helped by the attorney. All in all much like many other jobs, the job of a litigator is challenging to the core.