A law firm hears cases in court, with lawyers who work there called trial lawyers. Litigation involves research, counseling clients, and establishing a case. Some attorneys don’t offer litigation services, and firms can vary in size. Some companies keep litigation services in-house, and some firms specialize in specific cases.
A law firm is a law firm that hears cases in a court of law. A lawyer who works for a law firm is sometimes called a trial lawyer. Working in a litigation firm involves more than sitting in court: Services also include the research needed to build a case, which may involve interviewing witnesses, gathering data, and reading previous court cases to establish a precedent. A litigation attorney will also counsel a client, determine the client’s desired outcome for a trial, and work with the client to establish a case.
There are many types of attorneys who don’t need to offer litigation services. These include those in the legal profession, such as patent attorneys, as well as those who primarily work as counsel for both individuals and large corporations. Some of these attorneys may retain the ability to be trial attorneys, while others may have little or no training in a courtroom.
Litigation practices can vary greatly in size. Some practices consist of only one or two individual partners. Other firms may hire more attorneys, including junior and senior partners, as well as paralegals, legal clerks, and administrative staff. The size of a law firm is not always a guide to the amount of cases it can take on, as large firms are sometimes involved in complicated cases that take up most of their resources and force them to limit their onboarding clients.
Sometimes, a major law firm will need to offer both general services and a litigation arm. This is usually the case for law firms representing large companies. Maintaining general legal services and a law firm allows these types of practices to reduce competition for legal contracts.
Companies in certain industries, such as healthcare and manufacturing, may choose to keep litigation services in-house. In that case, a traditional litigation firm cannot be formed. Instead, the firm would simply offer positions to licensed trial attorneys. This is usually seen as a cost-saving measure when a company is fighting hundreds of cases at any given time.
Sometimes, a litigation firm will only deal with specific cases. For example, one firm may specialize in broad class action lawsuits against drug makers, while another firm primarily handles class action lawsuits against online companies or financial services. Specialization in one area can help a litigation practice maximize its existing research resources.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
