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Judicial Law Clerks
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.
Other titles employers use
Appellate Law Clerk · Career Judicial Law Clerk · Career Law Clerk · Judicial Assistant · Judicial Clerk · Judicial Law Clerk · Law Clerk · Law Researcher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, persuading and analytical work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Subjects to know
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Administrative
Useful strengths
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Oral Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.5 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.1 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.5 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 89%
- High school or less 7%
- A certificate or some college 2%
- A master's degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Office suite software
- Word processing software
- Document management software
- Spreadsheet software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Operating system software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 1,500
- Job openings each year
- 90
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- —
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,500 | 90 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 990 | 60 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 960 | 60 | 9.1% |
| Washington | 670 | 50 | 11.7% |
| Massachusetts | 580 | 40 | 7.4% |
| Utah | 560 | 40 | 7.7% |
| New Jersey | 550 | 30 | 1.9% |
| Minnesota | 520 | 30 | 4.0% |
| Tennessee | 470 | 30 | 9.3% |
| Michigan | 310 | 20 | −3.1% |
| South Carolina | 290 | 20 | 7.4% |
| Wisconsin | 260 | 20 | — |
| Arizona | 250 | 20 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 250 | 20 | 4.2% |
| Connecticut | 240 | 20 | 4.3% |
| Nevada | 220 | 10 | 4.8% |
| West Virginia | 210 | 10 | — |
| Oregon | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Iowa | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Delaware | 100 | 10 | — |
| Maryland | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Alaska | 90 | 10 | — |
| Idaho | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Indiana | 80 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Virginia | 80 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Nebraska | 70 | 0 | — |
| North Dakota | 40 | 0 | — |
| Virgin Islands | 30 | 0 | −25.0% |
Career to college
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