Law clerks are legal professionals who assist judges and attorneys in legal cases. They act as an assistant and prepare legal arguments and drafts to present before the court. They work in close proximity to judges and attorneys and write opinions on legal matters. This is why they are considered an important member of the team.
Law clerks should not be confused with court clerks as the two have very distinct roles in court proceedings. Unlike a court clerk, a law clerk has a direct role in rulings of court. While a court clerk has to perform organizational and management duties and therefore has no function in court proceedings.
Qualifications for Becoming a Law Clerk
Law firms prefer candidates with a law degree and an apprenticeship from a reputable organization will be an added advantage. This is not, however, a requirement for law clerk positions and if you are a Law undergraduate, you can still apply for the job. However, you should have significant experience or training in legal matters.
Skills
Law clerks must have excellent communication skills.They must have skills to present case before the court which means they should be good in following areas:
- Eloquence: Law clerks must have excellent articulation to present arguments. They must be able to express their thoughts to judge in clear and precise way. In addition, they should have strong persuasion skills as well as expertise in providing arguments with evidence and facts.
- Listening: Law clerks must be good listeners which means they should clearly listen statements of witnesses and understand them in the right context before writing them in legal files.
- Writing: Law clerks should be experts in legal writing. They should be familiarized with technical terms and phrases of legal language. Furthermore, he should be able to cite quotes from references in previous cases.
- Critical Thinking Skills: Law clerks must possess sharp critical thinking skills. They must analyze a legal matter from all aspects and then draw conclusions according to the available facts.
- Organizational and Management Skills: As a law clerk, you must be able to organize and manage legal files in order. You should be able to prepare files for hearing and arrange them for later necessities.
- Computer and Internet Skills: To qualify for a law clerk, you should have familiarity with computer and internet. You should know various resources to refer information on legal matters.
Employment
A law school graduate can be hired by a law firm or federal offices. He can also act as member of legal team of an organization. To avail better job opportunities in future, it is important that you practice clerkship in a prestigious organization.
Future Potential
A law clerkship can be your gateway to becoming a lawyer in the future. Take it as an opportunity to refine your skills in the above mentioned areas. Subsequently, you can pursue a law course for higher studies and take the bar exams in order to qualify as a lawyer.
About the author: Dean Jones works as a specialist content writer for dissertationlabs.co.uk , a company operating as a professional writing service to facilitate students with systematic assistance. The company has a strong customer base, especially in the UK.