4 In-Demand eDiscovery Jobs for Legal Professionals

By Robert Halfon November 8, 2021 at 8:30am

Are you a tech-savvy legal professional looking for ways to take your career in an exciting new direction? Then you'll want to explore eDiscovery jobs.

According to the Salary Guide from Robert Half, litigation is a high-demand practice area, especially in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, insurance defense and personal injury. This is driving the need at both law firms and corporate legal departments for lawyers and legal professionals skilled in litigation support and eDiscovery.

What do eDiscovery professionals do? In this still-evolving role, they manage and maintain electronic documents during the discovery process of a legal proceeding.

Opportunities in eDiscovery jobs

All eDiscovery jobs are built on a few core components: Clients usually seek candidates who at least have a college degree, though in some cases they'll require a Juris Doctor degree. The positions also require familiarity with document management systems and trial presentation software. Strong communication skills and attention to detail are also needed.

Here are some of today's most in-demand roles, along with their average starting salaries*:

1. Director, Litigation Support/eDiscovery

Litigation support directors oversee teams of litigation and eDiscovery professionals. They are the primary liaisons between litigation practice groups, clients' in-house discovery teams, opposing firms and vendors. This is a supervisory role, and it requires 10 or more years' experience. The Salary Guide lists the average salary for litigation support directors in the United States as $137,750 at the midpoint.

Access the Salary Guide to adjust salary projections by location.

2. Manager, Litigation Support/eDiscovery

In addition to conducting eDiscovery for litigation, litigation support managers serve as the lines of communication with outside firms and vendors. They must be adept at litigation project management and are responsible for overseeing project teams. According to the Salary Guide, the average salary for litigation support managers with three years of experience is $71,000 at the midpoint, while those with six years of experience can expect an average salary of $117,500.

See our open litigation support manager jobs.

3. Litigation Support/eDiscovery Specialist/Analyst

Support specialists and analysts conduct and manage eDiscovery, track data for litigation and assist the litigation support manager. These eDiscovery jobs require keen organizational skills, as well as proficiency in case management and eDiscovery software. The Salary Guide lists the average salary for these specialist/analysts with up to two years of experience as $67,250 at the midpoint.

Let Robert Half partner with you in your greateDiscovery job search.

4. Document Coder

These legal support professionals are the organizers of data found through eDiscovery and other methods. They are responsible for inputting data and importing databases into case management software. They need a strong understanding of legal concepts, as well as the ability to prioritize the order in which they process the data they receive. The average salary for document coder is listed in the Salary Guide as $41,250 at the midpoint.

The specifics of these positions often change depending on the size and structure of the law firm. For example, some smaller firms may train legal assistants or paralegals who have advanced technical skills and litigation support training to take on these roles.

*The national salaries listed are average starting salaries at the midpoint or 50th percentile (e.g., a candidate with average experience and most of the necessary skills for a position in moderate demand). Bonuses, benefits and other forms of compensation as well as practice area expertise and specials skills or certifications are not taken into account.

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