How to hire judicial law clerks
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information. • Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders. • Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations. • Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes. • 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. • Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief. • Review dockets of pending litigation to ensure adequate progress. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Doctoral or professional degree] • Strong reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, writing, speaking and active learning skills • Working knowledge of law and government, English Language and administrative • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $31.21 an hour ($64,920 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for judicial law clerks
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What judicial law clerks do
- Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information.
- Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders.
- Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
- Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes.
- 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.
- Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief.
- Review dockets of pending litigation to ensure adequate progress.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for judicial law clerks
- Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
- Job outlook: +2.8% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 1,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay judicial law clerks
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $143,350 |
| New York | $133,320 |
| Washington | $80,240 |
| California | $79,030 |
| New Jersey | $58,890 |
See judicial law clerks pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Lawyers
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
- Compliance Officers
- Law Teachers, Postsecondary
- Financial Specialists, All Other
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.