A litigator is a lawyer who represents clients in litigation. Litigation is a series of legal procedures, which can include jury or non-jury trials. Litigation exists to help resolve legal conflicts.
The client who the litigator represents is called the litigant; litigants can be defendants or plaintiffs in a lawsuit.
Typically, litigants pay litigators for their services and expertise. However, if a defendant cannot afford a litigator to represent them through litigation, then the court will appoint one to him or her.
In order to be a litigator, an attorney must be fully qualified and must have passed the bar exam in the state of relevance. Litigators are often part of a larger legal team that can be used by a client to help him or her deal with the legal issues at hand.