What Does a Law Clerk Do? Judicial Clerkships vs Firm Law Clerks

Last updated: 29 October 2026. This guide is based on the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan and law clerk guidance published on OSCAR by the Administrative Office of the US Courts, the 2026 Judiciary Salary Plan pay tables on uscourts.gov, the Supreme Court Historical Society, reporting by Bloomberg Law and Above the Law, and recruitment material from the UK Supreme Court and GOV.UK. It is general information, not careers or legal advice.

Short answer: A law clerk usually means a recent law graduate who works for a judge for one or two years, researching the law, writing bench memos and drafting opinions. Federal clerks are hired mainly through the OSCAR system and paid on the Judiciary Salary Plan. At many US law firms, though, “law clerk” is the title for a law student or graduate who is not yet admitted to the bar.

Key takeaways

• Judicial law clerks research, write bench memos, draft orders and opinions, check citations and help run the judge’s docket. The judge decides exactly what each clerk does.
• For students in the class of 2027, federal judges following the hiring plan could not accept applications before noon EDT on 8 June 2026. For the class of 2028 the date is 14 June 2027.
• A new graduate starting at grade JSP-11 earns $74,678 in the lowest-cost locality in 2026, and $88,005 in the New York area. Bar membership and experience can raise the grade to JSP-12, 13 or 14.
• Large firms pay clerkship bonuses to lawyers who join after clerking. One firm was reported in March 2026 to pay $180,000 for a federal clerkship, and Supreme Court clerks have been offered up to $500,000.

What is a law clerk?

The title covers two quite different jobs. A judicial law clerk is a lawyer, usually in the first years after law school, who works directly for a judge or court. The job is a short apprenticeship in judging: the clerk sees how decisions are made, works on the court’s most difficult questions and leaves with a reference from the judge. Many judges and senior litigators began their careers this way, and so did Justice Elena Kagan, who clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall.

At a law firm, “law clerk” often means something more junior. Some firms use it for law students working during the school year or the summer. Others use it for graduates who have finished law school but are waiting to sit or pass the bar exam, after which the title changes to associate. These clerks do real legal work, but under the supervision of admitted lawyers, and they cannot hold themselves out as lawyers until they are admitted.

When people talk about “getting a clerkship”, they almost always mean the judicial kind. That is the focus of most of this guide.

What does a judicial law clerk do day to day?

According to OSCAR, the federal judiciary’s clerkship portal, the duties of a federal law clerk are set by the employing judge, and in most chambers clerks concentrate on legal research and writing. The typical list includes conducting legal research, preparing bench memos, drafting orders and opinions, proofreading the judge’s work, verifying citations, communicating with counsel about case management and procedure, and assisting the judge in the courtroom. Clerks are bound by the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees, which means strict confidentiality and care over conflicts of interest.

The rhythm depends on the court:

• Appellate clerks read briefs and the record, write bench memos before oral argument, discuss cases with the judge and draft opinions after the panel confers. The work is close to academic writing, on a deadline.
• Trial court clerks handle a constant flow of motions, from discovery disputes to summary judgment, draft orders, help prepare for hearings, sit in on trials and keep the docket moving. The work gives close exposure to how litigation runs from day to day.
• Specialist clerks work for magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, pro se units or death penalty units, each with its own mix of work.

Strong research skills are the core of the job. Our guide to legal research platforms in the AI era covers the tools most chambers use.

What types of judicial clerkships are there?

Clerkships differ by court, length and prestige. The table below sets out the main options in the United States.

Federal clerkships also come in two lengths. OSCAR’s glossary says term appointments are the most common; they are limited to four years in total but generally last one or two years, and some judges hire for eighteen months. Career law clerks are appointed for four years or more and often stay with one judge for much longer.

How do you apply for a federal clerkship through OSCAR?

OSCAR, the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review, is run by the Administrative Office of the US Courts. Judges post positions there, and applicants upload a cover letter, résumé, transcript, writing sample and recommendation letters, then apply to individual judges. OSCAR is built for federal positions. State courts generally recruit through their own websites and timetables, so applicants need to check each one.

For current students, timing is governed by the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, last updated on 16 December 2025. It applies to students with two full years of grades, not to graduates.

• Class of 2027: OSCAR access from 20 January 2026. Participating judges would not accept applications or recommendations before 12:00 pm EDT on Monday 8 June 2026, would not contact applicants before noon on 9 June, and would not interview or make offers before noon on 10 June 2026.
• Class of 2028: OSCAR access from 19 January 2027. Applications open at 12:00 pm EDT on Monday 14 June 2027, with contact, interviews and offers allowed from noon on 15 June 2027.
• Offers: a judge who makes an offer keeps it open for at least 24 hours, during which the applicant can interview with other judges.

The judiciary’s minimum qualifications for law clerks require a law degree, or completion of all requirements, plus at least one of the following: standing in the top third of the class at an ABA or AALS approved school, service on a law review editorial board, an LLM from such a school, or proficiency the judge considers equivalent. Selectees must pass an FBI fingerprint check. Grades and school still matter, and our guide to the T14 law schools shows how clerkship placement varies. Judges can also hire graduates on their own schedule, which suits lawyers who decide to clerk after a few years in practice.

The Supreme Court is its own market. Our guide on how to get a Supreme Court clerkship covers that path.

How much do federal law clerks earn?

Federal law clerks are paid on the Judiciary Salary Plan, which uses the same locality rates as the executive branch’s General Schedule. The hiring judge sets the grade and step at appointment, based on post-graduate legal experience and bar membership. A new graduate with no legal work experience starts at JSP-11. One year of post-graduate legal experience plus bar membership qualifies for JSP-12, and two years for JSP-13. JSP-14 requires three years of post-graduate experience, at least two of them in federal judicial roles, and Judicial Conference policy allows only one grade 14 clerk per chambers.

Starting salaries in 2026, from the Judiciary Salary Plan pay tables effective 12 January 2026, are:

That is well below a first-year associate’s salary at a Big Law firm. Our guide to how much lawyers make compares public and private pay. Term clerks are also eligible for health, dental, vision and life insurance cover, and clerkship time counts as post-graduate legal experience if you later return to the judiciary at a higher grade.

What are law firm clerkship bonuses?

Large firms compete for former clerks and pay a signing bonus to lawyers who join after a clerkship. The amounts are set by each firm. In March 2026 Above the Law reported that Susman Godfrey had raised its bonus to $180,000 for a federal district or appellate clerkship, and to $200,000 for lawyers who complete two or more clerkships.

Supreme Court clerks sit in a market of their own. Bloomberg Law reported in January 2024 that firms courting departing Supreme Court clerks were offering signing bonuses of up to half a million dollars, according to a Gibson Dunn spokeswoman. For how bonuses sit alongside salaries at different class years, see our Cravath scale guide.

Is there a UK equivalent of a law clerk?

The UK has no large clerkship system like the American one, but the senior courts do employ judicial assistants. The UK Supreme Court invites applications each year for up to 11 judicial assistants to support the Justices and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. According to its 2026 to 2027 job description, the post is a fixed-term contract from 14 September 2026 to 30 July 2027 at a salary of £42,382. Duties include legal research on appeals and permission applications, bench memos, attending hearings and drafting press summaries of judgments. Most past appointees have been qualified solicitors, barristers or advocates, though candidates with strong academic records and a postgraduate law degree can also apply.

The Court of Appeal (Civil Division) has its own scheme. GOV.UK guidance says its judicial assistants clarify issues before hearings and summarise facts, procedural history and legal issues, that the role often attracts solicitors and barristers at the start of their careers, and that appointments run from the beginning of October to the end of July.

Be careful with the word “clerk” in England and Wales. A barristers’ clerk runs the business side of a set of chambers and is not a judicial researcher at all.

Frequently asked questions

Is a law clerk a lawyer?

A judicial law clerk has usually graduated from law school and often has been admitted to the bar, but works for a judge rather than for clients. A law firm clerk is often a student or a graduate awaiting bar admission, who works under the supervision of licensed lawyers.

How long does a judicial clerkship last?

Most federal clerkships are term appointments of one or two years, and some judges hire for eighteen months. Term appointments are limited to four years in total. Career law clerks are appointed for four years or more and may stay with a judge for many years.

When should I apply for a federal clerkship?

Under the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, current students apply in June after their second year. For the class of 2028 applications open at noon EDT on 14 June 2027. Graduates are not bound by these dates and can apply whenever judges are hiring.

Do you need top grades to clerk?

The minimum federal standard is top third of the class, law review editorial board service, an LLM or equivalent proficiency in the judge’s view. Many judges look for more, but strong writing, good references and relevant experience can count heavily, especially for graduates applying later.

Is a clerkship worth it financially?

In the short term a clerk earns less than a large firm associate, but many large firms pay a signing bonus to former clerks, reported at $180,000 at one firm in 2026. The experience is also valued for litigation, government and academic careers.

What is the difference between a law clerk and a paralegal?

A law clerk is a law student or law graduate doing legal research and drafting on the path to practice, whether for a judge or a firm. A paralegal is a trained legal professional who supports lawyers, often as a long-term career, and does not need a law degree.

This article is general information about judicial clerkships and law clerk roles in the United States and the United Kingdom and is not careers or legal advice. Hiring dates, pay rates and bonuses change, so check OSCAR, the hiring court and the employer directly before relying on any figure.