Law Clerk

Answer 1

With a renewed interest in the legal profession, many individuals who may have contemplated a career in the law field find the amount of training, education, cost, and time required to practice law too overwhelming to pursue. Fortunately, there is a specific career choice that allows for employment within the field of law with far less training and education to complete. This fascinating job is that of a law clerk.

The specific job description of a law clerk consists primarily of conducting research, gathering files, data collection, sending correspondence to litigants, and provides administrative support for an attorney and/or law firm. There are also law clerk positions within the judicial system that work directly under the guidance of a judge, performing the above duties for the court. There may also be circumstances in which the law clerk will be needed to assist an attorney or judge during trial proceedings in court as well.

Many of the duties assigned to a law clerk involve preparation of legal forms and documents such as affidavits, depositions, and legal brief drafts. These responsibilities carry with them enormous weight on the smooth operation of a case.

A law clerk can expect to attend and successfully complete the educational requirements for the position which depend largely upon the type of future work the prospective clerk will be pursuing. Most of the law clerk positions require a bachelor’s degree followed by internship(s) prior to an actual appointment with a law firm or judge.

Within a law clerk position lie many opportunities for advancement and furthering education to acquire a law degree and quite possibly practice law as an attorney in the future. The possibilities of such future employment are seemingly endless. The average salary for a law clerk is $25,000 at an entry level position. For an experienced law clerk, wages can be expected at approximately $43,000 per year.

For students who are interested in a career in law, a law clerk position may be precisely the job that opens doors to future career success.