How to become a Judicial Law Clerk

Official title: Judicial Law Clerks

Also called: Appellate Law Clerk, Career Judicial Law Clerk, Career Law Clerk, Judicial Assistant, Judicial Clerk, Judicial Law Clerk, Law Clerk, Law Researcher, Pro Se Law Clerk, Term Law Clerk

Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.

Main tasks

• Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations.
• Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court.
• Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
• Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders.
• Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief.
• Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes.
• Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information.
• Review dockets of pending litigation to ensure adequate progress.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Ways in

• College: Law & Justice degrees, Offered by 29 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $64,920 a year The middle half earn $52,870 to $80,420.
• About 14,000 people work in this job now, and about 14,400 are projected by 2035. (+2.8%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Lawyers
• Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
• Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
• Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Judicial Law Clerk?

Ways in include: Law & Justice degrees.

How much does a Judicial Law Clerk earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $64,920 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $52,870 to $80,420.

Is a Judicial Law Clerk a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 14,000 to about 14,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Judicial Law Clerk?

Usually. 72% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Judicial Law Clerk?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.