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all about law clerk jobs.

If you enjoy being knowledgeable in certain areas and providing important services as part of a team dynamic, you may find a career as a law clerk to your liking. Law clerks work under the supervision and direction of lawyers—or sometimes judges—to relieve them of some of the more routine matters, as well as help them with more complicated ones.

what do law clerk jobs entail?

At its core, the role of a law clerk is to assist lawyers in the execution of their duty. This can take a number of forms, such as helping a lawyer with large, complicated cases or taking smaller routine tasks off of their hands to free them up for the more involved work. They can work in the office of a sole practitioner helping that one lawyer, or in larger firms or multinational corporations, where they would take on a range of tasks into assist the lawyers working there. It is worth noting that what Canada refers to as a “law clerk” is typically referred to as a “legal clerk” in other parts of the world, with law clerk having a different meaning in places like the United States and the United Kingdom.

what is a typical work schedule for law clerks

Law clerks typically work during normal office hours, meaning their average schedule will be around 40 hours per week during the normal business hours of 9 am to 5 pm. Overtime is not uncommon in this profession, particularly when dealing with overly complex or time-sensitive cases, and as such is something you should be prepared for before taking on a role as a law clerk. Given the nature of the job, a certain degree of remote working—such as working from home—may be an option. This is something you should talk to your employer about beforehand.

what are the pros of law clerk jobs?

• Provides the opportunity to specialize: There are many areas of law, each with its own quirks and precedents. Lawyers will typically specialize in a specific area, and becoming a law clerk provides you with the opportunity to start that process. And, as an added bonus, it also gives you the chance to try different jobs and find an area of law you really enjoy working in.
• Work as part of a team: Whether you end up working at a large firm or for a single practising lawyer, you will be working as part of a team. This can be a real bonus to people who like to work with others.
• Many work environments to choose from: Law clerks work in a range of environments, which means you would have options when it comes to choosing where you want to work. Some examples of a typical law clerk setting include law firms (of course), banks and trust companies, commercial corporations, industrial corporations, and the legal departments of government.
• Less responsibility: While you will still be responsible to your bosses for your work, any cases you work on will ultimately be the responsibility of the lawyer you are assisting. This can be a valuable safety net when first starting on the road to becoming a lawyer yourself.

what are the cons of law clerk jobs?

• The wage isn’t high: The upper end of the pay scale for law clerks in Canada falls a little short of the national average salary, with the average law clerk earning comfortably less than that average.
• Can be high-pressure: While you may not be the ultimate authority on the cases you work on, you are still responsible for completing the work assigned to you, and that can often mean working to tight deadlines. If you find working at a fast pace stressful, this job may seem a little high-pressure.

what are common law clerk interview questions?

There will naturally be questions related to law and any areas of expertise you have, but there will also be some more open questions about you to answer. It helps to put some thought into your answers ahead of time, so here are some of the more common interview questions you can expect to be asked.

• Tell us a little about yourself? When asked questions like this, try to keep your answers centred around things that are relevant to the role. It can be tempting to ramble on about your interests, but this is, ultimately, a job interview. Stick to those aspects of your life that show qualities or experience that translate to your job.
• What are your biggest weaknesses? One of the worst things you can do when asked this question is to try and make it sound like you have no obvious weaknesses. This will come across as disingenuous to your interviewer, as we all have weaknesses. Be honest, but be able to demonstrate that you are working on your weaknesses.
• Why did you choose us? Your employer may ask you what attracted you to them when applying for a job. Needless to say, “you had a vacancy” is not the best answer. This is a chance to show that you have done some research on your potential employer and explain how you believe you are a good fit for them.

law clerk resume and cover letter requirements

Your resume and cover letter are often the first things your potential employers will see of you, so it’s important to make a good first impression and include all of the information they need. In your resume, be sure to include things like;

• Name and contact information
• Brief summary of experience/skills
• Employment history
• Education/qualifications
• Awards/certifications
• Examples of accomplishments
• Social media accounts (if work-related)
• Work-related skills

Treat your cover letter as an opportunity to expand on the things you have included in your resume, such as past experience, any awards and certifications, and other relevant information. Also, expand a little on how you feel you are a good fit for the company, including why you think this is the case, such as your personality meshing well with the company’s ethos.

what is the job outlook for law clerks?

The job outlook for law clerks is very positive. This is a position that is often in demand but also one that has a high turnaround rate. This is largely because people who work as law clerks often move on to other professions within the legal system, taking their valuable experience with them. As a law clerk, you can not only look forward to gaining that experience yourself but also having a range of options when it comes to what company you want to work for, as having the opportunity to sample different areas of law by choosing an employer that works in that area.

what are the different types of law clerk jobs?

The position of law clerk can come in many variations, but these are largely determined by the area of expertise and the setting. For instance, a law clerk may work for a law firm specializing in marital law, or they could work for a corporation dealing with property. Most law clerks will work for either a law firm, a commercial corporation or a financial institution, though there are certainly other organizations where a law clerk may be necessary. As for the specialty, there will invariably be openings for almost any area of law in each of the settings mentioned, so it should be relatively straightforward to find a position that centres around the area of law you want to focus on.

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what is the average salary for a law clerk?

The average salary for a law clerk in Canada is around $49,000 based on an hourly rate of $25, though overtime will increase this amount. Entry-level law clerk positions tend to earn closer to $39,000, while the highest earners in the profession bring in as much as $65,000. This means that the highest-earning law clerks are still earning a little under the national average in Canada, but there are plenty of opportunities to transition to other jobs, taking the valuable experience gained as a law clerk along with you.

average law clerk salaries in canada

• annual: $49,000
• monthly: $4,000
• weekly: $1,000
• hourly: $25

Top paying areas for law clerks in Canada include: Ontario and British Columbia.

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what are the duties and responsibilities of law clerks?

The primary role of a law clerk is to make life easier for the lawyer or judge they are working for. Here are some of the ways they can achieve that;

• Taking routine casework: Ultimately, the buck stops with the lawyer or judge you will be working under, so anything too complex will need to be dealt with by them. However, there is often more routine work that you, the law clerk, can take off their hands, freeing them up to handle the more complex matters that need their attention.
• Helping with complicated cases: While a law clerk may not be able (or allowed) to take on complicated cases on their own, they can still help with them. This may include taking on some of the more routine aspects as mentioned above, researching things, contacting people, and more.
• Perform research: Researching case law is a big part of both a lawyer and a judge’s work, but it is a lengthy process that does not need the degree of experience they have. Law clerks are often assigned this task.

where do law clerks typically work?

The overall setting may vary depending on the job, but law clerks will typically be working in an office environment, meaning climate-controlled interiors with comfortable chairs. It may sometimes be necessary to travel, including to court (especially if you are a law clerk for a judge), but you should not find yourself working outside or in other physically uncomfortable settings.

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what skills and competencies do law clerks need?

Law clerks need a range of skills to ensure they can do their job properly. While most of the technical side of things should be covered by your education or training, you should work on the following competencies if you want to be a law clerk;

• Self-organization: Law clerks are often left alone to take care of the tasks they have been assigned and will be expected to effectively manage their time and see that the work is done.
• Attention to detail: Part of a law clerk’s role involves looking up precedents and examining laws. This requires meticulous attention to detail, as missing something important can cause serious problems and cause the lawyer or judge you are working under to lose their trust in you.
• Teamwork: The size of the team may vary, but you will be working as part of a team, and that means being able to work well with others and effectively communicate.

what training and certifications do law clerks need?

Some legal organizations—such as law firms—will offer law clerk training that provides a path into this career. That being said, the most common way into this profession is to get a degree in a relevant subject. The subject will typically be related to the area of law you are interested in working in. It is not necessary to have passed the bar exam to become a law clerk, though many law clerks aspire to become a lawyer one day, and for that, you do need to pass the bar exam.

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