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Law & Government

Judicial Law Clerks

Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.

Median salary (BLS)

$64,920

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$46k – $113k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $105,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Judicial Law Clerks

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,200–$235,000

Time to qualify

6.5 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    Bar exam / state licensure / academy

    License

    Lawyers: the state bar exam. Public-safety roles: a training academy plus state certification.

    $200–$5,000 · 6 months · varies by state source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Judicial Law Clerks" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Judicial Law Clerks Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Judicial Law Clerks

    Entry / Junior

    $46,180

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Judicial Law Clerks

    Established

    $64,920

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Judicial Law Clerks

    Senior

    $89,030

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.
  • •Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
  • •Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders.
  • •Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Law & Government

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.