We calculated that 16% of Law Clerks are proficient in Litigation, Legal Issues, and Legal Memos. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Computer skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Law Clerks that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Litigation, 16%
Conducted extensive research on capital punishment in Alabama, substantially expanding upon an ongoing project of the Capital Litigation Unit.
- Legal Issues, 7%
Conducted extensive legal research and drafted several sentencing memorandums and case summaries regarding complex legal issues.
- Legal Memos, 7%
Conducted legal research and prepared legal memos regarding legal and non-legal issues Drafted arbitration filings, complaints, and other litigation documents
- Pre-Trial Motions, 6%
Gained litigation experience by conducting preliminary hearings and pre-trial motions with the assistance of a supervising attorney.
- Interrogatories, 4%
Compiled accurate information from other departments in order to answer complaints, interrogatories and other legal documents on a timely basis.
- Summary Judgment, 3%
Drafted motions for summary judgment researched and prepared memorandum regarding medical records statute, and drafted interrogatories.
Build a professional Law Clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume.
"litigation," "legal issues," and "legal memos" aren't the only skills we found law clerks list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of law clerk responsibilities that we found, including:
Law clerks are also known for interpersonal skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a law clerk resume: "lawyers must win the respect and confidence of their clients by building a trusting relationship so that clients feel comfortable enough to share personal information related to their case." We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "established oral argument and public speaking techniques as well as effective interpersonal, written & oral communication skills. " A thorough review of lots of resumes revealed to us that "research skills" is important to completing law clerk responsibilities. This resume example shows just one way law clerks use this skill: "lawyers need to be able to find those laws and regulations which apply to a specific matter, in order to provide the appropriate legal advice for their clients." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical law clerk tasks: "assist in tort litigation preparation by drafting legal motions, conducting research, preparing legal memorandum and assisting in litigation discovery. " Yet another important skill that a law clerk must demonstrate is "analytical skills." Lawyers help their clients resolve problems and issues This is clearly demonstrated in this example from a law clerk who stated: "researched and analyzed laws governing patent and trademark prosecution and litigation. " Another skill commonly found on law clerk resumes is "problem-solving skills." This description of the skill was found on several law clerk resumes: "lawyers must separate their emotions and prejudice from their clients’ problems and objectively evaluate the relevant applicable information" Here's an example from a resume of how this skill could fit into the day-to-day law clerk responsibilities: "drafted initial and supplemental litigation plans assessing outstanding liability and damages issues and potential resolutions. " See the full list of law clerk skills.
After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a law clerk. We found that 63.0% of law clerks have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 5.5% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While most law clerks have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's impossible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every ten law clerks were not college graduates.
Those law clerks who do attend college, typically earn either a law degree or a political science degree. Less commonly earned degrees for law clerks include a business degree or a history degree.
Once you're ready to become a law clerk, you should explore the companies that typically hire law clerks. According to law clerk resumes that we searched through, law clerks are hired the most by Pacific Architects and Engineers, United States Courts, and CACI International. Currently, Pacific Architects and Engineers has 25 law clerk job openings, while there are 18 at United States Courts and 15 at CACI International.
But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, law clerks tend to earn the biggest salaries at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Nixon Peabody, and O'Melveny. Take Hughes Hubbard & Reed for example. The median law clerk salary is $210,750. At Nixon Peabody, law clerks earn an average of $210,422, while the average at O'Melveny is $203,527. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.
View more details on law clerk salaries across the United States.
We also looked into companies who hire law clerks from the top 100 educational institutions in the U.S. The top three companies that hire the most from these institutions include U.S. District Court, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Courthouse, and Law Office.
