Why do you want to clerk for a judge?

Overall, a judicial clerkship allows you to view the justice system from the perspective of a judge at the beginning of your career. Unless you become a judge yourself, you never again will have the opportunity to gain an insider’s view of how judges make decisions and respond to different methods of advocacy.

What does a law clerk do?

Typically, the broad range of duties assigned to a law clerk includes conducting legal research, preparing bench memos, drafting orders and opinions, proofreading the judge’s orders and opinions, verifying citations, communicating with counsel regarding case management and procedural requirements, and assisting the …

What do clerks do for judges?

The judicial clerk is a full-time assistant to the judge and usually performs a wide range of tasks, including legal research, drafting of memoranda and court opinions, proofreading, and cite checking.

Why is a clerkship good?

A judicial clerkship provides the opportunity to hone research and writing skills while being exposed to a wide variety of legal issues. Furthermore, a clerkship offers insight into the judicial process and provides practical familiarity with the litigation process.

Is being a law clerk hard?

It is an extremely competitive process and it can be very difficult to even land an interview with a federal judge. Judges often hire law clerks one to two years in advance of the date on which the clerk will actually start working for the judge. State court judges and justices also hire law clerks.

What do judges look for in clerks?

Most judges prefer, of course, to find judicial clerks who have graduated at or near the top of their class, are academically inclined, like to do legal research, have the ability to write, and can commit at least a year to the job.

What do court clerks say?

In most provinces, the Court Clerk asks witnesses to swear or affirm to tell “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”, schedules trials and hands the exhibits such as documents and physical evidence to the judge, who takes them into consideration when rendering a decision.

How do you answer why do you want to clerk?

Here are some good answers that can help you pass the test:

1. “I want to clerk for you because you are a great mentor to your clerks.”
2. “I want to clerk for you because I will have a chance to work on a certain type of cases.”
3. “I have an interest in criminal work, and you allow your clerks to work on criminal cases.”

What is it like to clerk for a judge?

The judicial clerk is a full-time assistant to the judge and usually performs a wide range of tasks, including legal research, drafting of memoranda and court opinions, proofreading, and cite checking. Appellate court clerks are more likely to spend most of their time researching and writing.