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The differences between law interns and legal clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a law internship has an average salary of $39,394, which is higher than the $35,152 average annual salary of a legal clerk.
The top three skills for a law internship include litigation, legal issues and trial preparation. The most important skills for a legal clerk are litigation, legal correspondence, and subpoenas.
| Law Internship | Legal Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $39,394 | $35,152 |
| Hourly rate | $18.94 | $16.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 51,663 | 74,069 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
A law internship is a program that is designed for law students to give them valuable insight into the professional lives of attorneys and judges. Law interns need to understand and observe what being a lawyer involves. They are required to conduct research and present it to their superiors for case preparations. They must assist their senior lawyers in organizing all of their legal paperwork that includes case files, evidence records, and legal documents. Law interns are also required to be present in the courtroom to assist lawyers and experience actual courtroom proceedings.
A legal clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to legal offices and organizations to ensure smooth legal business operations. Legal clerks sort and distribute documents to the appropriate personnel, update information on the database, schedule appointments, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, and document meeting objectives. They may also coordinate with other offices and institutions to acquire files and research data according to the needs of the managing department. A legal clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in monitoring business transactions and submitting reports timely and accurately.
Law interns and legal clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Law Internship | Legal Clerk | |
| Average salary | $39,394 | $35,152 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $63,000 | Between $24,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | NAIC | Diodes Incorporated |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a law internship and a legal clerk in terms of educational background:
| Law Internship | Legal Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between law interns' and legal clerks' demographics:
| Law Internship | Legal Clerk | |
| Average age | 41 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1% | Male, 39.9% Female, 60.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 9% |