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Immigration paralegal vs law clerk

The differences between immigration paralegals and law clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an immigration paralegal has an average salary of $67,056, which is higher than the $55,916 average annual salary of a law clerk.

The top three skills for an immigration paralegal include management system, government agencies and USCIS. The most important skills for a law clerk are litigation, legal issues, and legal memos.

Immigration paralegal vs law clerk overview

Immigration ParalegalLaw Clerk
Yearly salary$67,056$55,916
Hourly rate$32.24$26.88
Growth rate14%10%
Number of jobs4,27975,014
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4641
Years of experience12-

What does an immigration paralegal do?

Working alongside immigration lawyers, an immigration paralegal is in charge of liaising and assisting clients through the progress of their visa petitions or other cases. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and securing foreign documents, coordinating with immigration managers, managing and filing documentation, preparing applications, and handling case systems and other databases. Furthermore, as an immigration paralegal, it is essential to update clients with the progress of their cases, answering their inquiries and helping them navigate through the procedures as needed.

What does a law clerk do?

Law clerks are employees in a legal firm who handle clerical tasks for the office. They handle the office's official phone lines, answering incoming calls, and making outgoing calls. They also field office correspondence, often receiving incoming mail and distributing them to their addressees. They manage office documents and ensure that they are correctly filed and labeled in their respective storage bins. Law clerks help make office life more comfortable because they make sure that the office is running well. They also manage appointments and office calendars.

Immigration paralegal vs law clerk salary

Immigration paralegals and law clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

Immigration ParalegalLaw Clerk
Average salary$67,056$55,916
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $97,000Between $27,000 And $114,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying statePennsylvaniaNew York
Best paying companyAmerican ExpressHughes Hubbard & Reed
Best paying industryProfessionalProfessional

Differences between immigration paralegal and law clerk education

There are a few differences between an immigration paralegal and a law clerk in terms of educational background:

Immigration ParalegalLaw Clerk
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorLegal Support ServicesLaw
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Immigration paralegal vs law clerk demographics

Here are the differences between immigration paralegals' and law clerks' demographics:

Immigration ParalegalLaw Clerk
Average age4641
Gender ratioMale, 26.3% Female, 73.7%Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 8.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%13%

Differences between immigration paralegal and law clerk duties and responsibilities

Immigration paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Manage caseload utilizing INSZoom software.
  • Manage large volume of documents, enabling attorneys to easily identify key documents that are critical for mediation and arbitration.
  • Prepare training materials for H-1B visas and permanent labor certification.
  • Write and prepare all arguments in re: to RFE's.
  • Provide notary services to clients.
  • Interview clients to complete form interrogatories.
  • Show more

Law clerk example responsibilities.

  • Hire specifically to perform legal research and write memorandums on probate cases, particularly those involving litigation.
  • Conduct legal research, draft various legal documents, including complaints, social security/disability appeals, settlement demand letters and subpoenas.
  • Research and draft affirmations in support, arbitration contentions, discovery responses, and attorney correspondence for insurance fraud litigation firm.
  • Value securities by performing company valuations utilizing DCF and multiples methods.
  • Develop valuation ranges using precedent transaction, comparable company, and DCF analyses
  • Utilize LexisNexis and WestlawNext search databases to conduct legal research and data analysis.
  • Show more

Immigration paralegal vs law clerk skills

Common immigration paralegal skills
  • Management System, 8%
  • Government Agencies, 8%
  • USCIS, 7%
  • Immigration Law, 6%
  • HR, 5%
  • Litigation, 5%
Common law clerk skills
  • Litigation, 16%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Legal Memos, 7%
  • Pre-Trial Motions, 6%
  • Interrogatories, 4%
  • Summary Judgment, 3%