law clerk job description

A law clerk is the right-hand person to a judge, a public official who oversees the legal process in a court. Working as a law clerk offers you a unique perspective on the judicial process . There are many job duties that a judge can assign to a law clerk. They include:

law clerk work environment

You should expect to work in a legal setting if you want to join a clerkship. You would spend most of your time indoors, either in an office or a courtroom. As a law clerk, you could work either in the public or private sector. Also, it’s possible to work remotely if your employer and the nature of your work permit it.

who are your colleagues?

There are different kinds of professionals who work in legal environments. As a law clerk, your colleagues include other clerks and judicial employees. Also, expect to share the same office space with lawyers and judges. Having strong social and communication skills would help you work effectively with the rest of the team.

A law clerk’s job can be quite demanding, and the work environment is fast-paced at times. You would work on a set schedule, mostly when working as a law clerk. Usually, law clerks work at least 40 hours every week, depending on the amount of work available and the targets set. Besides, you should expect to work overtime when there are strict deadlines to meet. It’s also common to work at night and on weekends. In short, you must be ready to put in the hours if you want to become a law clerk. Despite this, it comes with immense benefits that will propel your career in the future.

job outlook for law clerk

You’ll gain a lot of hands-on experience as a law clerk. But you can also set aside time for more educational and professional development. Taking another course in the same field as your work is vital. It would help you change roles faster and even advance in your career to ensure you earn a better salary. You can also advance your career in many other ways after working as a law clerk. Specializing in one area, such as corporate, real estate, family, or litigation law, is a good idea. It would also be easy to become a judge once you finish your law studies and gain enough experience in various law-related roles .

benefits of working for randstad as a law clerk

Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits: being paid weekly flexibility always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from many training opportunities a range of jobs in your area Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company ? A temporary job as a law clerk is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!

is a career as a law clerk a good one?

Yes, a law clerk is one of the best entry-level careers in the legal field . If you are looking to gain experience and set yourself apart, then consider working as one.

what career can I enter as a law clerk?

You’re never limited when working as a law clerk. You could advance your education and become a law clerk in higher courts like the Supreme Court or even become a judge later on.

how do I know that I’m getting fair pay as a law clerk?

You could check out the average pay for a law clerk in your state to be sure about this. Also, the Randstad salary calculator can be helpful for this purpose.

where would I work as a law clerk?

Law clerks work in different state and federal courts. As a law clerk, you could also work in the appellate and supreme courts.

what do regular office hours look like for a law clerk?

Law clerks work regular hours, like other professionals. Most of these hours will be busy, and you might have to work extra hours or during weekends if the workloads are huge.

how do I find a job as a law clerk?

Applying for a law clerk job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our law clerk jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state-of-the-art tool will help you to create your own resume . Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips !

Law Clerk

what is a law clerk?

A law clerk is an officer in a municipal, state, or federal court who handles routine administrative and legal tasks. These professionals work under experienced lawyers and judges to help them execute their duties. Their roles in the legal system vary depending on what their assignment is.

As a legal clerk, your job is to help a judge manage paperwork filed in the courts. Also, you help them shape their decisions on the various cases before the court. You can do this through legal research and the analysis of every case to explain why the judge and the court gave a specific verdict on it.

You don't need experience or a law degree to work as a law clerk. In fact, most of the notable judges in the United States began their careers as law clerks before attaining their qualifications. Besides supporting teams, a stint as a law clerk provides learning opportunities, gives you a feel for the job and builds the foundation for your career.

Often, you work as a law clerk for between one and two years. After that, you could move higher up the ladder of the American legal system. This gives fresh and energetic graduates a chance to also get into clerkships. In the end, this provides the chambers with a constant flow of new thoughts and ideas.

Would working as a law clerk suit your legal background and skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a law clerk role.

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1

average law clerk salary

According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics (BLS), the national estimates for law clerk salaries are a mean hourly wage of $31.88 or a mean annual wage of $66,310. However, as you’d expect, various factors affect how much someone can earn while working as a law clerk. They include the employer and the region where you work.

Law clerks working with the federal government earn an average salary of $22.71 per hour or $47,240 annually. Those at the top of the scale are usually more experienced and not recent graduates who are still working as clerks.

Working as a law clerk at the state level can also be rewarding. The BLS shows that the states that report the highest average salaries for law clerks include:

New York: $119,120 ($57.27 hourly)
Connecticut: $85,480 ($41.10 hourly)
Illinois: $81,370 ($39.12 hourly)
North Dakota: $80,550 ($38.73 hourly)
Tennessee: $77,930 ($37.47 hourly)

It’s worth mentioning that some law clerks working at the state level earn more than others. In California, for instance, experienced lawyers get employed as staff attorneys, the equivalent of a law clerk. Therefore, you could earn more than a recent law graduate as an experienced lawyer working in this position.

Wondering what you can earn as a law clerk? Find out immediately with the Randstad salary checker! You can quickly and easily see the average salary of a law clerk is.

2

types of law clerks

If you’re keen to get into a law clerkship, it’s worth noting that there are different types of jobs that you could do. Here are some of the popular law clerk jobs:

entry-level law clerk: You can become a law clerk without undertaking any prior on-the-job training. This means working as a law clerk while still in college. This will give you a better chance of building your resume and learning more about the legal field.
virtual law clerk: It is also very common to get employed as a remote law clerk these days. In this role, you will handle the office telephone, emails, conference calls, and much more. Also, it entails any other task that’s doable outside your employer’s office.
law clerk internship: If you have completed college, you can get employed as an intern. Although this role pays little or no money, it’s a chance to hone your skills. It would benefit your future job search because most employers look for internships on a prospect’s resume.
temporary law clerk: You can get employed to fill a law clerk position for a set period. This is usually when an employer has a specific project or certain seasonal needs. Such agreements occasionally change into ongoing or full-time roles depending on your performance and availability for the position.
director law clerk: In this case, your employer assigns you a managerial role for a specific project. Your work in this role is to lead other employees to achieve specific goals. You would plan, execute, and manage different day-to-day business activities.

3

working as a law clerk

There’s a lot to know about working as a law clerk before you get into this field. Gathering as much information as possible will help you succeed in your role as a job clerk. You can read more about this career to ensure you excel in the wide variety of legal tasks in this field.

law clerk job description

A law clerk is the right-hand person to a judge, a public official who oversees the legal process in a court. Working as a law clerk offers you a unique perspective on the judicial process. There are many job duties that a judge can assign to a law clerk. They include:
law clerk work environment

You should expect to work in a legal setting if you want to join a clerkship. You would spend most of your time indoors, either in an office or a courtroom. As a law clerk, you could work either in the public or private sector. Also, it’s possible to work remotely if your employer and the nature of your work permit it.
who are your colleagues?

There are different kinds of professionals who work in legal environments. As a law clerk, your colleagues include other clerks and judicial employees. Also, expect to share the same office space with lawyers and judges. Having strong social and communication skills would help you work effectively with the rest of the team.
work schedule

A law clerk’s job can be quite demanding, and the work environment is fast-paced at times. You would work on a set schedule, mostly when working as a law clerk. Usually, law clerks work at least 40 hours every week, depending on the amount of work available and the targets set.

Besides, you should expect to work overtime when there are strict deadlines to meet. It’s also common to work at night and on weekends. In short, you must be ready to put in the hours if you want to become a law clerk. Despite this, it comes with immense benefits that will propel your career in the future.
job outlook for law clerk

You’ll gain a lot of hands-on experience as a law clerk. But you can also set aside time for more educational and professional development. Taking another course in the same field as your work is vital. It would help you change roles faster and even advance in your career to ensure you earn a better salary.

You can also advance your career in many other ways after working as a law clerk. Specializing in one area, such as corporate, real estate, family, or litigation law, is a good idea. It would also be easy to become a judge once you finish your law studies and gain enough experience in various law-related roles.
benefits of working for randstad as a law clerk
Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:
- being paid weekly
- flexibility
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as a law clerk is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!

4

law clerk skills and education

There are different ways to start a career as a law clerk. Before going deeper, it’s worth mentioning that tertiary education isn’t mandatory for a law clerk. You can enter the role without any prior training.

However, you should follow the following paths to increase your chances of success:

complete a bachelor’s degree: Undertaking a bachelor’s of law degree is the best way to get employed as a law clerk. You can also complete a Juris Doctor if you already have a degree in a different discipline. It’s also possible to gain the skills needed for the role through vocational education and training.
internship: Another option is to seek an internship even before you complete training. You can gain hands-on experience in a short time and further your skills with time.

skills and competencies

Knowing the skills that would help you succeed in your law clerk role can be a good idea. Some of the most important skills to have include:

organization: You take charge of the office paperwork once you begin work as a law clerk. You must organize files properly to ensure that they’re easy to retrieve when the need arises.
communication: The ability to communicate effectively on the phone, via email, etc. is an excellent skill for a law clerk. You need good etiquette, eloquence, and great listening skills.
typing: You also need to be good at typing if you are to succeed as a law clerk. This skill would help you keep records faster when attending court hearings and will also help you generate reports quickly.
computer skills: It is easier to get hired if you have Microsoft Office and other computer skills. In these modern days, clerks work more with computers than they do with paper.

5

FAQs about working as a law clerk

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about law clerks.

is a career as a law clerk a good one?

Yes, a law clerk is one of the best entry-level careers in the legal field. If you are looking to gain experience and set yourself apart, then consider working as one.
what career can I enter as a law clerk?

You’re never limited when working as a law clerk. You could advance your education and become a law clerk in higher courts like the Supreme Court or even become a judge later on.
how do I know that I’m getting fair pay as a law clerk?

You could check out the average pay for a law clerk in your state to be sure about this. Also, the Randstad salary calculator can be helpful for this purpose.
where would I work as a law clerk?

Law clerks work in different state and federal courts. As a law clerk, you could also work in the appellate and supreme courts.
what do regular office hours look like for a law clerk?

Law clerks work regular hours, like other professionals. Most of these hours will be busy, and you might have to work extra hours or during weekends if the workloads are huge.
how do I find a job as a law clerk?

Applying for a law clerk job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our law clerk jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state-of-the-art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!

law clerk