Judicial Law Clerks
Legal
Researches laws, prior decisions, and filings so a judge can see the issues in each case. Work includes drafting briefs, memoranda, and suggested language for opinions, then conferring about legal questions or whether to grant an order. Days also go to reviewing complaints and motions, sitting in court for arguments or notes, watching pending dockets, and flagging when a law change affects a case. The setting is courthouse offices and the courtroom, with long stretches of close reading and writing. People who prefer careful research, precise drafting, and advising a decision-maker rather than arguing the case themselves tend to fit this work.
Typical education: Doctoral Degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$64'920
Median Wage Market Position
$64'920
What you might do
- Research laws and rulings for cases before the court
- Draft briefs and memos that advise the judge
- Proofread judicial opinions and check the citations
- Go through filed motions to find the real issues
- Sit with the judge to work through legal questions
- Attend court to hear arguments and take notes
Skills that matter
- Research of laws and prior court decisions
- Drafting briefs, memoranda, and judicial opinions
- Review of complaints, motions, and pleadings
- Conferring with judges on legal questions
- Flagging law changes that affect pending cases
- Note-taking during oral arguments in court
AI & the future of this role
Legal research, memo drafting, and case summarization are screen-heavy tasks where AI could take on a large share of the workload. Assisting judges still requires judgment and discretion, but those remaining duties may not offset declining demand for pure research support.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details