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Law clerk skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.,

Chad Smith

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical law clerk skills. We ranked the top skills for law clerks based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.1% of law clerk resumes contained litigation as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a law clerk needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 law clerk skills for your resume and career

1. Litigation

Here's how law clerks use litigation:

Conducted extensive research on capital punishment in Alabama, substantially expanding upon an ongoing project of the Capital Litigation Unit.
Performed extensive legal and factual research during the Katrina Litigation in support of attorneys engaged in the Complex Litigation Division.

2. Legal Issues

Here's how law clerks use legal issues:

Conducted extensive legal research and drafted several sentencing memorandums and case summaries regarding complex legal issues.
Participated in client intake by determining eligibility of prospective clients and identifying their potential legal issues.

3. Legal Memos

A legal memo (legal memorandum) is an informal record of a specific legal issue for helping the parties to remember specific points or for future reference. It's generally written by a law student, a paralegal, or a lawyer.

Here's how law clerks use legal memos:

Conducted legal research and prepared legal memos regarding legal and non-legal issues Drafted arbitration filings, complaints, and other litigation documents
Drafted legal memos on issues ranging from real estate acquisition and environmental compliance to disciplinary matters and television/radio/alternative media contracts.

4. Pre-Trial Motions

Pre-Trial Motions are those legal motions which are employed before the trial actually begins, often at hearings or outside of the courtroom. For example, a prosecutor or a defense attorney might file something called a "motion to dismiss", which is an attempt in getting the judge to consider dismissing the case in question before it can even get to trial.

Here's how law clerks use pre-trial motions:

Gained litigation experience by conducting preliminary hearings and pre-trial motions with the assistance of a supervising attorney.
Conducted legal research and wrote pre-trial motions pertaining to various topics involving criminal procedure and constitutional law.

5. Interrogatories

Here's how law clerks use interrogatories:

Compiled accurate information from other departments in order to answer complaints, interrogatories and other legal documents on a timely basis.
Conducted investigations of employment and housing discrimination complaints; Drafted interrogatories; Wrote dispositions based on a probable cause finding.

6. Summary Judgment

Here's how law clerks use summary judgment:

Drafted motions for summary judgment researched and prepared memorandum regarding medical records statute, and drafted interrogatories.
Prepared pleadings, including motions for summary judgment, interrogatories and discovery, involving employment discrimination issues.

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7. District Court

Here's how law clerks use district court:

Reviewed and processed documentary evidence/disclosure regarding an international narcotics-trafficking trial held at D.C. District Court.
Prosecuted misdemeanors in City of Alexandria General District Court as law student practitioner.

8. Demand Letters

Here's how law clerks use demand letters:

Prepared pretrial-discovery documents, demand letters, subpoenas, and power of attorney letters; attended depositions and arbitration hearings.
Write demand letters, defending clients, identifying and mitigating potential conflicts regarding fraudulent activity and debt removal.

9. Subpoenas

Subpoenas are formal and legal documents issued mostly by a court or some other government agency that demands the presence of the person the document is addressed to, to show up at court. Subpoenas are issued to individuals whom the court wants to appear either as a witness in a particular case in order to testify or to provide any evidence such as an object or a document.

Here's how law clerks use subpoenas:

Interviewed clients and handled inquiries regarding discovery and trial preparation; also communicated with opposing counsel and co-counsel; issued subpoenas.
Conduct legal research, drafted various legal documents, including complaints, social security/disability appeals, settlement demand letters and subpoenas.

10. Settlement Agreements

Here's how law clerks use settlement agreements:

Attend all Municipal and Superior Court eviction proceedings along with in-house counsel to negotiate settlement agreements with commercial and residential tenants.
Coordinated/Conducted settlement negotiation with private sector violators of the CAA and drafted administrative settlement agreements to resolve impact of CAA violations.

11. Family Law

Here's how law clerks use family law:

Assisted family law and personal injury solo practitioner in daily office activities including research and letter composition.
Researched issues relating to family law and foreclosure defense and delivered findings through written memorandum or conference.

12. Client Interviews

Here's how law clerks use client interviews:

Analyzed legal claims in the Social Security department by conducting client interviews and assessing client medical records and physician recommendations.
Conducted client interviews and managed the ongoing relationships including identifying goals and explaining legal rights.

13. Probate

Here's how law clerks use probate:

Hired specifically to perform legal research and write memorandums on probate cases, particularly those involving litigation.
Prosecuted several misdemeanors as a certified student attorney, represented the county in probate hearings.

14. Client Intake

Here's how law clerks use client intake:

Conducted client intake of noncustodial parents seeking parenting time, while maintaining a friendly professional demeanor during high stress conversations
Conducted client intake interviews to determine client's immigration status, eligibility, and possible admissibility issues.

15. Law Firm

Here's how law clerks use law firm:

Clerked for law firm that focused on international business transactions and intellectual property licensing matters while living in and experiencing Peru.
Performed legal research; organized legal correspondence; prepared litigation documentation for a large international law firm; attended court hearings.

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What skills help Law Clerks find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on law clerk resumes?

Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Kent State University

-Online teaching experience
-Flexibility in teaching modalities
-Research and critical thinking continue to be important
-Digital technology
-Ability to ask good questions
-Writing skills
-Understanding facts

What soft skills should all law clerks possess?

Chad Smith

Director of Legal Programs, Catholic University of America

Soft skills are those intangibles that every great professor has- a dynamic presenter that commands the attention and interest of their class/audience. These are the professors that intuitively know how to communicate lessons and convey meaning. Strong reasoning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and flexibility. Last, is leadership as every great professor needs to lead their class and be comfortable being the center of attention.

What hard/technical skills are most important for law clerks?

Chad Smith

Director of Legal Programs, Catholic University of America

Most important would have to be strong computer and related technology skills. In today's world, more and more professors are having to rely on the use of technology and platforms such as Zoom, Blackboard, and Canvas for remote/online learning. Professors today need to be able to convey information in-person and online.

What law clerk skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Andrea Schneider

Professor of Law, Marquette University

Law school graduates should focus on developing client interaction skills and dispute resolution skills, including active listening, understanding emotional intelligence, and non-defensive communication. The need for low-cost legal assistance, particularly in large urban areas, in foreclosure, eviction, unemployment, and bankruptcy will be significant. Volunteers with legal training will be needed to address unprecedented impacts on individuals in many areas of the law. They could also work on the software or technological skills that law school may not have provided but which will make them even more attractive to employers after the pandemic.

What type of skills will young law clerks need?

Richard Meltz

Senior Advisor and Internship Manager Staff, The Ohio State University

For global affairs careers, many skill sets are sought. Language skills are valuable. All job seekers need basic computer skills. Word processing, spreadsheet and data analysis, excellent writing and communication skills are sought. Aside from these basic skills, the range of skills employers seek becomes more specialized. Computer mapping skills and the ability to analyze political, economic, social, and environmental issues with depth are sought. By numbers of jobs, the private sector is larger than the government sector. The understanding of how business and international trade works is useful.

What technical skills for a law clerk stand out to employers?

Paula Smith

Assistant Dean for Career & Professional Development, Texas Tech University

Legal employers are seeking young lawyers with a good academic grasp of the law, excellent legal research and writing skills, advocacy abilities including negotiation, trial, and appellate exposure, and personal attributes of integrity, teamwork, diligence, resilience, and an expectation of success.

Do you want to know more?

List of law clerk skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a law clerk resume and required skills for a law clerk to have include:

Litigation
Legal Issues
Legal Memos
Pre-Trial Motions
Interrogatories
Summary Judgment
District Court
Demand Letters
Subpoenas
Settlement Agreements
Family Law
Client Interviews
Probate
Client Intake
Law Firm
Employment Law
Civil Litigation

Real Estate Transactions
LexisNexis
Criminal Law
Social Security
Civil Rights
Contract Law
Arbitration
Intellectual Property
Legal Memorandum
Court Proceedings
Criminal Cases
Administrative Law
Estate Planning
Federal Courts
Legal Analysis
Discovery Responses
Criminal Defense

Staff Attorneys
Medical Malpractice
Civil Procedure
Research Memoranda
Oral Arguments
Legal Arguments
Legal Research
Juris
Circuit Court
Court Hearings
Court Orders
Commercial Litigation
Corporate Law
Employment Discrimination
Settlement Conferences
Child Support

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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