preview

Job Responsibilities Of An Entry Level Law Clerk

Decent Essays

Pam: What Does a Law Clerk Do?
Specific law clerk job responsibilities ultimately depend on the size and nature of the law firm, but most law clerks do share basic similar duties.
Entry-Level Law Clerk
Entry-level law clerk job responsibilities are often similar to file clerks and paralegals. They regularly categorize and maintain research and investigation documentation. They collect and organize factual information related to litigation procedures. They must track case statuses, draft documents and conducting basic legal research. They sometimes assist senior law clerks with preparing notebooks for trials, pleadings and evidentiary hearings. They will also be responsible to schedule judge’s calendars and coordinate witnesses and hearings. Beginner law clerks will spend a large amount of time using paper filing and legal information software systems to enter and access data.
Senior Level Law Clerk
Experienced law clerks may act as arbiters, conciliators and temporary judicial officers. They regularly research, interpret and apply laws and court decisions. They screen and prepare court documents for presentation to their judge. They …show more content…

Another way to directly obtain employment is through a formal clerkship, such as through the federal courts’ Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR). Aspiring law clerks should note that while every state court has their own internal hiring schedules, many federal judges arbitrarily hire law students one to two years before graduation. When creating a cover letter, law students should be familiar with the personality of the target judge because some judges are either highly traditional or unconventional. When submitting a resume, many law students make the mistake of mechanically listening every legal achievement since they started high school. Instead, law students should simply highlight their impressive legal

Get Access