Judicial Law Clerks

Career Overview

Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.

Also Known As

• Judicial Assistant
• Judicial Clerk
• Judicial Law Clerk
• Law Clerk

Alternate Job Titles

• Appellate Law Clerk
• Attorney Law Clerk
• Career Judicial Law Clerk
• Career Law Clerk
• Chancery Clerk
• Court of Appeals Law Clerk
• District Clerk
• District Court Law Clerk
• Family Law Associate
• Federal Appellate Clerk
• Federal Appellate Law Clerk
• Federal Court of Appeals Law Clerk
• Federal District Clerk
• Federal District Law Clerk
• Federal Judicial Law Clerk

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations.
• Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court.
• Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
• Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders.
• Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief.
• Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes.
• Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Law and Government
• English Language

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Reading Comprehension
2. Active Listening
3. Critical Thinking
4. Writing
5. Speaking
6. Active Learning

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Written Comprehension
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Oral Expression
• Inductive Reasoning
• Speech Recognition
• Near Vision
• Speech Clarity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Dependability
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Cautiousness

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Achievement
• Working Conditions
• Support
• Recognition
• Relationships

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Doctoral Degree

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Adobe Acrobat
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Computer inkjet printers
• Computer laser printers
• Document scanners
• Laser facsimile machines
• Personal computers
• Photocopying equipment
• Tablet computers

Work Environment

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• E-Mail
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$42,000
Median	$60,400
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$113,150

Workers Employed Nationally: 13,220

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

---

---

Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.