Law clerk education requirements

Q: Can you practice law without a law degree?

Yes, you can practice law without a law degree, but this only applies to a few states. In most states, you must obtain a law degree to practice law. In four states, you can practice law without a law degree, although you must pass the state's bar exam. Here are the four states you can practice law without a law degree and only by passing the state's bar exam:

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a law clerk. Law clerks usually study law, political science, or business. 63% of law clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 56,266 real law clerk resumes to see exactly what law clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for law clerks are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

There are also many online law clerk courses to help get the education required to be a law clerk.

There are certain law clerk certifications that you should consider. These law clerk certifications include Certified International Trade Law Specialist (CITLS) and MEDIC First Aid BasicPlus - G2010.

What education do you need to become a law clerk?

What degree do you need to be a law clerk?

The most common degree for law clerks is bachelor's degree, with 63% of law clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 29% and doctoral degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 63%

Doctorate, 29%

Master's, 5%

Associate, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a law clerk?

You should major in law to become a law clerk. 33% of law clerks major in law. Other common majors for a law clerk include political science and business.

Law, 33%

Political Science, 19%

Business, 6%

History, 5%

Other Majors, 37%

Most common colleges for law clerks

Law clerks often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for law clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Law clerk common college	Percentages
University of California - Davis	8.48%
University of California, Santa Barbara	7.47%
University of Florida	6.79%
Florida State University	6.50%
New York Law School	5.27%

Show more common law clerk colleges

Best majors for law clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Law	33.3%
2	Political Science	18.7%
3	Business	6.1%
4	History	4.9%
5	Criminal Justice	4.6%

Show more common law clerk majors

Best colleges for law clerks

The best colleges for law clerks are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A 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 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 law clerks.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for law clerks

Advertising disclosure

1. 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:...

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...

3. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

4.7

(1,575)

A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

4. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary

4.6

(250)

An in-depth summary of Company Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations...

5. Privacy Law and HIPAA

What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

6. 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...

7. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

4.5

(552)

An English language course for business and law...

8. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

4.6

(414)

A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

9. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

International Law in Action explains the functions of each international court and tribunal present in The Hague, and it looks at how these institutions address contemporary problems. On the basis of selected cases, and through interviews with judges and lawyers, you will explore the role of these courts and tribunals and their potential to contribute to global justice. The first module of the course will investigate how judicial settlement is different from other more political forms of...

10. Privacy Law and Data Protection

11. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

(619)

A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

12. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

13. Introduction to International Criminal Law

-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...

14. 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,...

15. Law of Attraction: Law of Attraction and your Perfect Life

4.8

(336)

Take control - Law of Attraction - NLP coach teaches the Mastery of the LOA in one of the top law of attraction courses...

16. Law: A Comprehensive Summary for LLB Students

4.2

(253)

An essential 24 hours of Video Lectures, Spider Graphs and Case Summaries made to guide LLB students preparing for exams...

17. 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...

18. Cloud Computing Law

This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions...

19. Law of Attraction Life Coach Certification (Accredited)

4.7

(2,730)

Manifestation and Law of Attraction Life Coach Training for Abundance, Psychology, Happiness & Allowing Your Success...

20. Law of Attraction & Allowing YOUR Success Masterclass

4.5

(262)

Law of Attraction & psychology for manifestations, raising your vibration, abundance & happiness...

Top 10 most affordable universities for law clerks

The most affordable schools for law clerks are Brigham Young University, florida state university, and university of florida.

If the best universities for 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 law clerks.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

6. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Cost of attendance

24,568

8. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Cost of attendance

25,497

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for law clerks

The hardest universities for law clerks to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for 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 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for law clerks

The easiest schools for law clerks to get into are University of Southern Maine, cleveland state university, and western new england university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 law clerks.

1. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

2. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

3. Western New England University

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,160

4. Saint Thomas University

Miami Gardens, FL • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,031

5. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

6. Pace University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,154

7. Quinnipiac University

Hamden, CT • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,190

8. Suffolk University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

9. Widener University

Chester, PA • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,115

10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, IL • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,124

Average law clerk salary by education level

According to our data, law clerks with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $62,819 annually. Law clerks with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $51,176.

Law clerk education level	Law clerk salary
Master's Degree	$51,176
Bachelor's Degree	$47,306
Doctorate Degree	$62,819
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,910

Law clerk education FAQs

Can you practice law without a law degree?

What is the best college for Law Clerks?

Have more questions? See all answers to common legal questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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