Litigation lawyers are attorneys who specialize in lawsuits. Their primary responsibility is to take a lawsuit to court and try to win it. Litigation attorneys occasionally settle cases outside of court, but the majority of the lawsuits they receive will be heard in court. Litigation lawyers are divided into two categories: civil and criminal. A criminal litigation lawyer works on state or federal prosecution cases, whereas a civil litigation lawyer may specialize in one area or work in several, such as landlord-tenant disputes, contract disputes, or personal injury lawsuits. Litigation lawyers frequently handle personal injury cases because they have the necessary courtroom expertise and experience that many other types of lawyers, such as tax or traffic attorneys, lack.
Disputes between shareholders and partnerships, wrongful dismissal cases, and contract disputes are all handled business litigation lawyers. Before settling or litigating a contract dispute, a business litigation lawyer thoroughly examines the contract and all aspects of the case. A commercial litigation lawyer may focus on one area, such as real estate or landlord-tenant disputes. Clients’ legal rights and obligations are clearly explained real estate litigation attorneys, who also point out flaws in lease construction. New York, for example, is known for having complicated landlord-tenant laws.
Clients may need to speak with a criminal litigation lawyer at police stations. A public defense attorney is paid the state to defend people accused of crimes who cannot afford to hire an attorney. Many public defenders begin their careers as soon as they graduate from law school.
In a lawsuit, a litigation lawyer must be able to work with clients calmly and professionally. Some clients may be concerned about having to appear in court for a lawsuit because they may face fees or jail time, and litigation lawyers can assist them in discussing their trial options and organizing necessary evidence documents. A litigation lawyer assists his or her clients developing a legal strategy that will hopefully result in the case being won. Clients who are involved in a lawsuit are looking for litigation attorneys with a lot of experience.
Litigation lawyers are classified as juniors if they have less than three years of experience, mid-level if they have three to four years of experience, and senior if they have four or more years of litigation experience. In a law firm, a junior litigation lawyer may work as an assistant to a senior litigation attorney, filing court documents and learning the ins and outs of writing legal documents. Litigation law is complex, and cases are typically large. Each case has a large number of employees working on it, and most cases take a long time to get to trial.