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Appellate law clerk education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an appellate law clerk. Appellate law clerks usually study law, political science, or business. 52% of appellate law clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 40% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 101 real appellate law clerk resumes to see exactly what appellate law clerk education sections show.
The most common colleges for appellate law clerks are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
There are also many online appellate law clerk courses to help get the education required to be an appellate law clerk.
What education do you need to become an appellate law clerk?
What degree do you need to be an appellate law clerk?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Doctorate, 40%
- Master's, 4%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an appellate law clerk?
- Law, 35%
- Political Science, 13%
- Business, 7%
- History, 6%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for appellate law clerks
| Appellate law clerk common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 8.57% |
| Florida State University | 8.57% |
| University of Miami | 8.57% |
| University of Florida | 5.71% |
| George Washington University, The | 5.71% |
Best majors for appellate law clerks
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 35.4% |
| 2 | Political Science | 13.4% |
| 3 | Business | 7.3% |
| 4 | History | 6.1% |
| 5 | English | 4.9% |
Best colleges for appellate law clerks
The best colleges for appellate law clerks are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An appellate law clerk with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for appellate law clerks. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become appellate law clerks.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for appellate law clerks
Advertising disclosure
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2. An Introduction to American Law
This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...
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6. A Law Student's Toolkit
Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list...
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Effective Legal Office Administration...
9. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals
The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...
10. International Law In Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes
‘Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes’ is the second course in Leiden University’s new series on International Law in Action. The first course covered international courts and tribunals in The Hague in general. This second course provides an insider perspective into the work of international criminal courts and tribunals. You will learn about the investigation and prosecution of international crimes in The Hague. Atrocities produce unspeakable forms of violence. We will explore...
11. Psychology of Criminal Behaviour & Criminology - ACCREDITED
Personality Disorders, Violence, Sex Offence, Murder, and other types of crime...
12. Legal English
Legal language and communication skills...
13. Legal Tech and the Digital Transformation of Law
The digital revolution changed the way we communicate and trade. Now, it is coming into the world of law. This program will give you a broad overview of the main trends that are affecting the legal industry: - The birth of the legal tech market and the application of technology in law. - The role of artificial intelligence in the automation of the work of lawyers. - Blockchain technology and its impact on the way we sign and execute contracts. - Initiatives to ensure access to justice through...
14. American Contract Law II
Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...
15. English for Business and Law - Contract Law
An English language course for business and law...
16. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy
A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...
17. Healthcare Law
This Specialization is designed to help you navigate the complex legal framework that governs modern health systems. You will learn the fundamentals of American health law, then explore how privacy law shapes the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. You will also learn how intellectual property law influences everything from the pharmaceutical industry, to medical research, to cutting-edge ethical issues involved in emerging technologies such as DNA-testing. Finally,...
18. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary
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19. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
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20. CYBER CRIME & CYBER LAW - DR. PAVAN DUGGAL - CYBERLAW UNIV.
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Top 10 most affordable universities for appellate law clerks
The most affordable schools for appellate law clerks are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for appellate law clerks are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for appellate law clerks.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for appellate law clerks
The hardest universities for appellate law clerks to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for appellate law clerks are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for appellate law clerks based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for appellate law clerks
The easiest schools for appellate law clerks to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an appellate law clerk without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for appellate law clerks.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average appellate law clerk salary by education level
| Appellate law clerk education level | Appellate law clerk salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,113 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,037 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,135 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,112 |
Search for appellate law clerk jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025