Law Clerk Career Guide

If you are a recent law school graduate, you may want to consider spending some time as a judicial law clerk. Despite its name, individuals in this position do not occupy their days tending to clerical duties. Instead, law clerks assist judges by researching issues and helping them to make informed legal decisions.

There are actually a few different types of law clerks. Trial court law clerks directly assist judges in the resolution of disputes within courtroom trials. Appellate law clerks research and examine complex legal matters within the appeals process for both civil and criminal cases.

While the majority of law clerks are recent graduates from law school, there are also career clerks who maintain this position with the judge permanently. Regardless of the duration, this position requires superior research and writing skills. Additionally, law clerks must be highly educated about the court system, the court procedures, and the different legal areas they will be dealing with on a regular basis.

To help you learn more about this career, we interviewed professional law clerks one-on-one. Check out the careers profiles below to find out their educational backgrounds, career paths, why they decided to pursue this career, and what advice they have to offer to those interesting in pursuing this career.