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Judicial internship vs law clerk

The differences between judicial interns and law clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a law clerk has an average salary of $55,916, which is higher than the $50,523 average annual salary of a judicial internship.

The top three skills for a judicial internship include legal issues, court proceedings and legal memoranda. The most important skills for a law clerk are litigation, legal issues, and legal memos.

Judicial internship vs law clerk overview

Judicial InternshipLaw Clerk
Yearly salary$50,523$55,916
Hourly rate$24.29$26.88
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs47,59575,014
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4141
Years of experience--

What does a judicial internship do?

In a judicial internship, a law school student can be assigned to a court to assist a judge or other law practitioner. One of the primary responsibilities will revolve around conducting thorough research on various legal issues, studying and revising orders, and preparing documentation such as a memorandum. Furthermore, an intern will have an opportunity to attend meetings and hearings, observe how legal actions are processed, and develop a perspective on how the entire judicial system functions.

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.

Judicial internship vs law clerk salary

Judicial interns and law clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

Judicial InternshipLaw Clerk
Average salary$50,523$55,916
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $84,000Between $27,000 And $114,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between judicial internship and law clerk education

There are a few differences between a judicial internship and a law clerk in terms of educational background:

Judicial InternshipLaw Clerk
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Judicial internship vs law clerk demographics

Here are the differences between judicial interns' and law clerks' demographics:

Judicial InternshipLaw Clerk
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 49.8% Female, 50.2%Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 8.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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 Percentage13%13%

Differences between judicial internship and law clerk duties and responsibilities

Judicial internship example responsibilities.

  • Gain extensive knowledge of civil, domestic, and probate court proceedings, as well as proper court etiquette.
  • Research, analyze and write dispositions or motions and judicial opinions on matters relate to corporate litigation and commercial/residential mortgage foreclosures.
  • Experience in preparing legal documents such as subpoenas and arraignment notices.
  • Assist the public in filings of various small claim suits, subpoenas and affidavits.
  • Conduct legal research using WestLaw and LexisNexis.
  • Observe all probate dockets including involuntary-commitments, estates, and adoptions.
  • 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

Judicial internship vs law clerk skills

Common judicial internship skills
  • Legal Issues, 12%
  • Court Proceedings, 10%
  • Legal Memoranda, 7%
  • Oral Arguments, 6%
  • Judicial Opinions, 4%
  • Social Security, 4%
Common law clerk skills
  • Litigation, 16%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Legal Memos, 7%
  • Pre-Trial Motions, 6%
  • Interrogatories, 4%
  • Summary Judgment, 3%