What is another name for a law clerk?
Asked by: Ceasar Beatty IV | Last update: October 9, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (21 votes)
A law clerk, judicial clerk, or judicial assistant is a person, often a lawyer, who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court.
What is a law clerk vs paralegal?
Law clerks have typically completed law school, while paralegals only have a relatively small amount of technical education in the field. Also, paralegals are confined to research and legal writing under the supervision of an attorney – they cannot provide legal advice.
How do you describe a law clerk on a resume?
Law Clerk Resume Samples
Investigated facts and laws and decided how to prepare cases. Assisted the attorneys at trial or at depositions. Prepared production of documents for discovery, assembling exhibits, affidavits and other legal documents for use in preparing a trial.
What does "clerk" mean in law?
As a noun, a clerk is a person who maintains or creates records —either a public official or a lesser official, holding a support role in an office or business. A law clerk is a young lawyer or law student who helps a licensed attorney or a judge with research and document drafting.
Is a court clerk a law clerk?
A court clerk should not be confused with a law clerk, who is a lawyer that assists the federal and appellate court judges with legal research and writing opinions.
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Can you be a law clerk without law school?
Although there is no particular requirement that clerks be recent law school graduates (California, for example, hires experienced lawyers for clerk positions, who they call staff attorneys), in practice that is how the system has evolved in most of the United States.
Is law clerk entry level?
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.
Is a law clerk the same as an associate?
A law clerk is an attorney that provides direct assistance and counsel to a judge, while an associate is a lawyer who works at a law firm under the firm's partners. A law clerk works with a judge by helping them make legal determinations and write opinions by researching issues before the court.
What is a judge's assistant called?
Also known as judicial clerks, court judicial assistants provide a helping hand to judges by conducting factual research and providing written court documentation for upcoming and present cases.
What is the other name for law clerk?
A law clerk, judicial clerk, or judicial assistant is a person, often a lawyer, who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court.
What are the duties of a law clerk?
Typically, the broad range of duties assigned to a law clerk includes conducting legal research, preparing bench memos, drafting orders and opinions, proofreading the judge's orders and opinions, verifying citations, communicating with counsel regarding case management and procedural requirements, and assisting the ...
How do you describe a clerk?
An Office Clerk is a professional who performs various tasks around an office, such as typing documents, answering phone calls and filing records. The specific duties vary depending on the employer's needs for an individual position.
Do you need a law license to be a law clerk?
While you do not need a law degree to be a law clerk in some cases, clerking is often viewed and used as a great stepping stone before becoming an attorney. This is why many clerking roles are on a temporary or contract basis.
What is higher than a paralegal?
Lawyers are licensed to practice law and represent clients, whereas paralegals are not. This means that lawyers are typically more highly trained and better compensated than paralegals.
Are law clerks still in law school?
In some of the larger states, like California and New York, it can take several months to get bar results. Calling someone a “law clerk” is usually code for “not yet admitted to the bar” whether that means the person is still in law school or a recent graduate.
Does a law clerk make more than a paralegal?
Since law clerks require greater schooling and often have stricter job requirements, they typically earn higher salaries than paralegals on average. Geographic location, experience level and place of employment can all impact the earning estimates of both positions.
What is a law clerk vs legal assistant?
Law Clerks: Often use the role as a stepping stone to become paralegals, attorneys, or judges. Legal Assistants: May advance to senior administrative roles or specialized positions within legal departments.
Do law firms hire law clerks?
Firms like to hire clerks for several reasons. For one, folks coming off a clerkship have just spent at least a year with an insider's view of their court. They're quite comfortable in that setting and with the court's administrative processes.
How many years of school does it take to be a law clerk?
Get an Entry-Level Position as a Law Clerk
In general, you can become a Law Clerk after completing your 4 year Bachelor's Degree in a related discipline.
Can you be a law clerk without going to law school?
The short answer is that you do not have to obtain a Juris Doctor (JD) degree to become a law clerk. Where I practice (in California), typically law firms hire students who are in a 3-year law school program to perform work as a law clerk, either part-time during the school year, during the summers, or both.
Can I be a clerk with no experience?
The qualifications that you need to get a clerical job with no experience depend on the details of your position. An office support specialist or administrative assistant needs a high school diploma or G.E.D. certificate.
Do law clerks have to pass the bar?
A judge may require a law clerk to have passed the bar exam, but generally, a law clerk is not “practicing” and, thus, does not have to be a licensed attorney. There are two types of clerkships: term clerks and career clerks. Term clerks often serve in the position for 1 to 3 years.
Do law clerks get bonuses?
The opportunity to receive class credit. A generous clerkship bonus of US$50,000 to US$100,000, provided you complete a clerkship with an approved court. A bonus of US$400,000 for Supreme Court of the United States clerks who join the Firm.
How many hours a week do law clerks work?
Usually work at least 40 hours per week. Generally work a set schedule.