You support litigators in a law firm or government practice — producing the pleadings, discovery responses, and procedural work that civil and criminal litigation requires — alongside calendaring, file organization, and trial-preparation support.
The role lives inside the docket — case calendars dictate the rhythm, with answers, responses, motions, hearings, and trial dates all generating filing deadlines. You're often producing pleadings in court-specific formats, organizing discovery documents, preparing exhibits, supporting attorneys through depositions and trial work. Filing accuracy and docket discipline anchor the operating measures.
The harder part is often the document volume in active litigation — major cases generate thousands of pages of discovery, multiple expert reports, and extensive exhibit organization, and the litigation secretary manages the binders and digital files behind it. Practice variance shapes texture: civil litigation runs differently from criminal defense or government enforcement work; plaintiff's and defense practice each carry their own document workflows.
This work asks for organization under pressure, comfort with technical legal documents, and reliability through trial-week intensity. NALS PLS, PLS-SC, and litigation-specific paralegal credentials anchor advancement. The trade-off is the deadline-driven pace — litigation deadlines don't flex, and after-hours filings happen during active matters.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Admin & Office roles →You support litigators in a law firm or government practice — producing the pleadings, discovery responses, and procedural work that civil and criminal litigation requires — alongside calendaring, file organization, and trial-preparation support.
Median pay for a Litigation Secretary is about $54K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $36K to $88K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, and Time Management.
Most people in this role hold a postsecondary certificate.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 5.8% through 2034, with roughly 154,540 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Litigation Paralegal, Litigation Legal Assistant, and Secretary.
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