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Law clerk vs clerk

The differences between law clerks and 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 $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.

The top three skills for a law clerk include litigation, legal issues and legal memos. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.

Law clerk vs clerk overview

Law ClerkClerk
Yearly salary$55,916$31,163
Hourly rate$26.88$14.98
Growth rate10%-5%
Number of jobs75,01480,311
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age4147
Years of experience-2

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.

What does a clerk do?

Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.

Law clerk vs clerk salary

Law clerks and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

Law ClerkClerk
Average salary$55,916$31,163
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $114,000Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew Hampshire
Best paying companyHughes Hubbard & ReedUniversity of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industryProfessionalHealth Care

Differences between law clerk and clerk education

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

Law ClerkClerk
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common majorLawBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityWestern Carolina University

Law clerk vs clerk demographics

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

Law ClerkClerk
Average age4147
Gender ratioMale, 52.5% Female, 47.5%Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage13%6%

Differences between law clerk and clerk duties and responsibilities

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.
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Clerk example responsibilities.

  • Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
  • Manage orthopedic accounts regarding payment posting through IDX medical systems.
  • Administer financial bookkeeping by way of QuickBooks.
  • Bank reconciliation in QuickBooks and assist bookkeeper when need.
  • Maintain a high level of confidentiality as required by HIPAA.
  • Call DMV's and dealerships when liens are not perfect.
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Law clerk vs clerk skills

Common law clerk skills
  • Litigation, 16%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Legal Memos, 7%
  • Pre-Trial Motions, 6%
  • Interrogatories, 4%
  • Summary Judgment, 3%
Common clerk skills
  • Basic Math, 18%
  • Math, 10%
  • Data Entry, 10%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Cleanliness, 8%
  • POS, 5%