Generally

Civil litigation attorneys file and defend lawsuits that involve two or more private parties. For example, if you have a disagreement with a business involving breach of a contract, a civil litigation attorney will represent you in that lawsuit.

Types

Many civil litigation attorneys specialize in a specific area of law such as employment law or real estate law. Other civil litigation attorneys simply work on any kind of litigation.

Law suits

Civil litigation attorneys file lawsuits. For example, they file employment discrimination lawsuits, fraud lawsuits, divorces, or child custody lawsuits, among other things.

Mediation

Civil litigation attorneys participate regularly in meditations. Mediation is a legal procedure that does not involve courts, but instead involves a professional mediator who helps the parties resolve their dispute in a mutually agreeable manner.

Arbitration

Civil litigation attorneys also handle arbitration cases. Arbitration is similar to lawsuits filed in court, but the cases are not decided by judges. Instead, the cases are decided by arbitrators who may be attorneys, judges, retired judges, or people completely untrained in the law.

Source:

"Nolo's Encyclopedia of Everyday Law"; Shae Irving, J.D. and Nolo Editors; 2008