I served as a law clerk for multiple courts between 1996 and 2000. While the technology has changed, the role of the law clerk I believe has remained the same.

The job of a law clerk is to provide research and writing support for the judge in writing his or her opinions. The law clerk does not make substantive decisions, but rather finds the necessary legal principles and case law that helps the judge formulate a well-reasoned decision.

A typical day in the life of a law clerk involves lots of legal research. Legal research and writing must be a passion of anyone who wants to work as a law clerk for a judge. Much time is spent in the library or in front of the computer gathering research or making edits to the latest draft opinion. On occasion, the law clerk will sit in on a trial proceeding or oral arguments depending on whether the judge is a trial judge or an appellate judge. Law clerks have regular contact with the judge, though the judge will expect that you can manage a research project on your own.

Pros

The pros of the job are that you get a behind-the-scenes insight into how the judge writes an opinion. You review various drafts and have a window into the judge’s thinking. That will in turn help you to write legal briefs to courts when you start practicing law. You also learn a lot about the areas you research for the judge’s opinions. The hours working as a law clerk can be long, but not as intense as you might experience working at a large law firm. Being a law clerk is also less stressful on average than working in a law firm. There are no clients or billable hours to deal with.

Cons

The cons are the job is that working as a law clerk is not as lucrative as practicing law, but that’s not the reason why a person would want to serve as a law clerk. You also spend a lot of time on the computer and reading law books. This is something you must have a passion for if you are going to thrive as a law clerk. The job is not about watching trials and oral arguments all day. Legal research and writing must be something you enjoy doing almost every working day. If the law library is a place you ran from during law school, then being a law clerk might not be right for you.

Criminal Defense Attorney – Joseph Gutheinz

Gutheinz Law Firm, LLP

I have been a criminal defense attorney for the last 24 years. Just about 5 days per week I am on the road to courthouses in 4 surrounding counties an … Read More

Proofreader – Mark Hemming

Libra Translation

My name is Mark Hemming, and I work at Libra Translation in the UK. Proofreading and editing is a large part of my work, whether proofreading translat … Read More

Date Concierge – Hannah Deau

Select Date Society

My days are extremely busy! I’m constantly juggling things, so I have to stay organized. As a Date Concierge for Select Date Society, I am responsible … Read More

Speech-Language Pathologist – Lauren Hermann

I am a speech-language pathologist (SLP). The field of speech-language pathology is extremely broad. SLPs can work with patients across the lifespan- … Read More