No, most lawyers are not purely litigators. Litigators refer to those attorneys who regularly appear in court and try (or litigate) cases. Sometimes these attorneys are called trial attorneys, because they have jury trials. Many attorneys work in areas of practice where litigation does not occur that frequently. These attorneys negotiate deals, file motions and do other work that does not require frequent courtroom appearances.

Other attorneys focus on settling cases rather than taking them to trial. These attorneys may be well versed in an area of law, but simply prefer to settle cases rather than try cases before a jury.

Still other attorneys may be appellate attorneys, which mean that they do not practice in trial courts. These attorneys specialize in appearing before appellate courts, reviewing lower court decisions and trying to identify errors of law committed. Some attorneys, in fact, specialize almost entirely in U.S. Supreme Court litigation.