litigation lawyer.

Some of the common tasks of litigation lawyers include:

• submitting and receiving pleadings: as a litigator, you listen to a client's complaint, and after the initial investigation, you draft a complaint to send to the defendant. The pleading from the plaintiff outlines their complaint. When you represent the defendant, you receive the complaint filed against them and respond within the required time frame. In the pleading, you respond with the defendant's side of the story.
• investigating the complaint: as a litigation lawyer, you investigate the plaintiff's claim and find legal precedents that support their claim. You also determine the defendant's possible strategy based on the discovery files. The aim of investigating is to identify loopholes that support your case.
• preparing arguments: as a litigation lawyer, you prepare the arguments for court proceedings or mediation. When you receive the requested documents from the plaintiff or defendant, you come up with a strategy. During pre-trial, you interview witnesses and interrogate experts to support your claims. You can also organise an interrogation of the defendant to know their side of the story.
• communicating with the opposing counsel for settlement: as a litigation lawyer, you assess the case and determine the possibility of an out-of-court settlement. Sometimes, settlements give better outcomes to the plaintiff and save both parties money. You negotiate the settlement offer based on the facts of the case.
• representing clients in court: as a litigation lawyer, you represent your client in court. Your job is to defend your client if they are the accused or present facts and arguments to support the claims made by the plaintiff. You line up witnesses and question them to inform the jury of the facts of the case. After closing arguments, you wait for the final decision from the jury.

Litigation lawyers work with individuals and companies in various industries. In commercial law, you represent clients in the production, telecommunications, mining, manufacturing and construction industries. While you spend most of the day in your office reviewing legal documents and preparing for trial, you also travel to the client's premises. During the investigation, you travel to the plaintiff's workplace to gather facts. Aside from working at the office, you also go to mediation or arbitration conference rooms and courtrooms to represent clients. As a litigation lawyer, you are expected to wear formal attire when representing clients in court. Some law firms have hybrid and remote work settings for lawyers.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include lawyers, legal secretaries and legal assistants. You might also be working in close proximity to compliance officers and paralegals, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, legal counsel, office managers and data entry clerks.

Litigation lawyers work traditional business hours from Monday to Friday. You work 40 hours weekly in a full-time position. However, during major cases, you are likely to work evenings and weekends to prepare court proceedings and review last-minute discoveries. Some litigation lawyers work part-time hours, which means they only work a few hours a week.

As a litigation lawyer, you are an expert in civil matters, which prepares you for exciting career opportunities. Aside from becoming a senior counsel or legal advisor, your corporate and commercial law expertise prepares you for higher roles in the company, such as senior legal counsel or executive positions. Alternatively, you can specialise in one aspect of litigation and become a consultant after gaining sufficient experience.

Finding your litigation lawyer job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
 

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a litigation lawyer is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract every year with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

As a litigator, you handle cases involving civil matters. You present a complaint to the defendant or represent a defendant accused of causing injury or harm. You represent clients in court and in settlement negotiations.

As a litigation lawyer, you earn an average remuneration package of $118,000 per year. When you are new to the role, you start with a salary of $100,000 annually, but with experience, you can take home over $152,500 per year.

You require a law degree or a Juris Doctor to pursue Practical Legal Training (PLT) in Australia. When you complete the training, apply to practise law in your state or territory. When you complete the supervised legal practice, you can take the bar exam to become a litigator.

Litigation involves a wide range of civil cases in various legal areas. As a litigation lawyer, you handle issues related to breach of contract, employment disputes and personal injury disputes.

A litigation lawyer represents clients in lower courts or magistrate courts. A barrister, on the other hand, represents clients in higher courts and cannot prepare or sign contracts for clients.

Applying for a litigation lawyer job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.