Clerks work in courts at state and federal levels, with federal clerks offering prestige. The US Supreme Court is the most prestigious office, while federal appellate and court clerks offer valuable experience. Specialized and local courts provide training for specific areas of law. State courts offer valuable experience for those planning to practice in a specific area.
Clerks are court-related jobs available at the state and federal levels, with federal clerks offering a lot of prestige. Positions at the federal and state levels can be at a supreme court, a trial court, or an appellate court. Magistrates and specialized courts also have positions for officials. Local positions are also available for those who want to practice law in a specific area.
The most prestigious office in the United States is that of the US Supreme Court. At this level, officials work closely with a judge to verify decisions made by lower courts. These cases are normally the ones that make national news. A good relationship with the US Supreme Court can virtually allow an employee to choose their next career step, which could include a position at a prestigious law firm. Most of those who study at the US Supreme Court were top students in their law schools and often become professors after their internships are over.
A federal appellate court, also called a circuit court, offers an internship that can be used as a stepping stone for a law enforcement official hoping to move to the US Supreme Court. Staff at this level work with judges to review federal court opinions and may assist judges by writing opinions or bench memoranda. The work is mostly research and employees rarely go to court. Many federal appellate court employees practice law after their term ends, but some become law professors or move on to other government jobs.
US federal court clerks, also called court clerks, expose a law enforcement officer to federal criminal trials, discovery disputes, and oral arguments. The advantage of this type of judicial internship is that an employee is exposed to actual trials, providing valuable experience for both law school and private practice. The clerks do a lot of legal research and usually get a lot of cases, because a judge can typically have two clerks and a few hundred cases. Employees often know the jurisdiction’s attorneys and often become an attorney at a nearby firm after their tenure ends.
In courtrooms, clerks help judges work on cases where the judge doesn’t have a lot of time. An official can work with the judge and lawyers during the discovery phase – when evidence is found – until the actual trial takes place. Charges are also handled by magistrates’ courts.
Specialized courts provide valuable training for law students who want to pursue a career in a field such as tax law. Internships in federal tax or bankruptcy court, for example, provide the specialized training needed by attorneys who want to enter tax or bankruptcy law. Specialized courts only focus on one aspect of the law; therefore, employees need to be sure they are interested in this area before committing to this type of position.
The same types of courts are available at the state level, but they do not offer law enforcement officials the same level of prestige. If a law student is planning to practice in an area of the country, such as just their home state, a state court internship will provide experience with that state’s specific laws and procedures. Most internships in the United States are at the state level and expose law enforcement officials to a variety of cases because state courts are not as specialized as federal courts.
An internship at a local courthouse, such as in a small town or in an employee’s home county, can be good preparation for practice in areas such as juvenile and family law. At this level, many states refer to law enforcement officers as staff attorneys, and employees may need to pass the exam before filling the vacancy. The advantage of being a local employee is that there are regular hours and a chance to meet with people who can help when the employee becomes a full-fledged lawyer.
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