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What is a legal clerk and how to become one
A legal clerk is a member of a law firm who works on different administrative activities on a daily basis. Legal clerks primarily conduct research on legal cases related to the ones that the firm is currently handling. They also prepare memoranda, drafts of legal documents, case materials, and office orders.
They may also do proofreading and editing of legal documents before publishing. In addition, they may be assigned to communicate with clients, provide updates on cases, and communicate the schedule of hearings. When assigned to assist in specific cases, legal clerks are expected to be familiar with the procedure of handling that particular type of case. They should also provide administrative support throughout the proceedings.
To become a legal clerk, an individual must have a bachelor's degree, pass the LSAT, go to law school, and obtain a law degree. They may choose to further specialize in a specific topic or to get a graduate degree in law. Given the administrative nature of the work, legal clerks are usually fresh law school graduates who are new at a law firm.
What general advice would you give to a Legal Clerk?
Emily Allen-Hornblower
Associate Professor of Classics, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
I mean, who studies Classics? Who willingly subjects themselves to the rigors of Latin or Greek - or both? Who commits to navigating the intricacies of an interdisciplinary path that combines some of the most vital areas of inquiry for our time: social and cultural history, political science, philosophy, psychology, literary studies, material culture?
A go-getter. Someone who is passionate. And is Driven.
And you know what? Employers know that. They see that on your CV, and they think, wow - here is someone interesting and hard-working and who thinks out of the box. And they are right. Xerox saw that. Macy's saw that. The Air Force Intelligence Officer who hired one of our (female!) undergraduates as an officer saw that. The software engineer who hired another one of our grads to join his team as a full-time software engineer saw that. Oxford University Press in New York City saw that - and hired another recent grad as a full-time intern in their Higher Education Editorial Development department. SO: Classics majors, think big and broad. There is no restricted path for what is next.
So - Graduating seniors in Classics (and other Liberal Arts degrees), as you prepare to go forward into the world, you have good reason to go forth with pride, and enter the world after college, with all its question marks and inevitable bumps in the road, with confidence.
A Classics major is excellent preparation for the pursuit of a wide range of careers in a large number of fields, including, but not limited to, government, law, education, business, journalism, library science, publishing, foreign service, finance, the entertainment industry, museum, and preservation work, pharmaceutical sciences, music, and the arts, foundations, technology, web design, and labor relations. So think broadly. You've got this. "
Avg. Salary $35,152
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 14%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%
Asian 5.41%
Black or African American 8.31%
Hispanic or Latino 21.80%
Unknown 4.73%
White 59.35%
Genderfemale 60.14%
male 39.86%
Age - 47American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 47Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Legal Clerk career paths
Key steps to become a legal clerk
Explore legal clerk education requirements
Start to develop specific legal clerk skills
Skills 
Percentages Litigation 13.03% Legal Correspondence 8.56% Subpoenas 6.70% Legal Research 5.62% Trial Preparation 5.46% Complete relevant legal clerk training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New legal clerks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a legal clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real legal clerk resumes.Research legal clerk duties and responsibilities
- Complete accounting and payroll functions.- gather and process client documents.- manage daily operations of office.
- Maintain and organize litigation materials; litigation management; process correspondence, and various clerical duties, including filing/copying/package assembly.
- Process civil, probate and small claims cases, issue writs, abstracts, summons, defaults and judgments.
- Assist or draft wills, power of attorney, revocable living trusts, probate, adoptions, ERISA and Medicaid eligibility.
Prepare your legal clerk resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your legal clerk resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a legal clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Legal Clerk Resume templates
Build a professional Legal Clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Legal Clerk resume.
Apply for legal clerk jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a legal clerk job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Legal Clerk Job
Are you a Legal Clerk?
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Average legal clerk salary
The average Legal Clerk salary in the United States is $35,152 per year or $17 per hour. Legal clerk salaries range between $24,000 and $49,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do legal clerks rate their job?
Legal Clerk reviews
Working with good people & good clients trying to help them
Like to work in good atmosphere
Autonomy, independence, salary, substantive research projects.
My work is often task-based, so I don't get the full picture.
It is a profession that requires a high-studying level
Updated January 8, 2025
