Most Important Skills for a Law Clerk at State Government District
Essential skills for a law clerk include strong reading, writing, and editing abilities, honed throughout legal education and prior roles. Beyond these foundational skills, the ability to "read between the lines" and anticipate a judge's opinions based on past rulings and interactions is crucial for success, a skill not explicitly taught in law school.
Communication, Reading Comprehension, Analytical Skills, Legal Research, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Erica Roberts
Law Clerk
State Government District
University of California, Los Angeles. Graduated 2018
The University of Texas School of Law
Economics
Government & Public Sector, Law
Legal
Greek Life Member, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Strong reading, writing, and editing skills are foundational and learned through law school and practice.
2. The ability to read between the lines and anticipate a judge's opinions is crucial and not explicitly taught in school.
3. Sociability and networking are important for building relationships with judges and other legal professionals to gain insights and advice for career development.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
It took me a while to get into and remind myself of that. I think it's also important to be sociable. That's true in any job, but the federal courthouse seems pretty formal.
The judge is just like any other person. Talking to her and getting to know her opinion on the cases is important. I'm also learning more about her career and what I might want to do in my own.
I'm seeking advice not just from my judge, but also from the other judges and lawyers here. There's so much experience in this courthouse.
The reading, writing, and editing skills are learned in law school and practiced throughout various jobs before becoming a law clerk. These are the cornerstone of the position.
However, what they don't teach you is how to read between the lines. It's important to anticipate what your judge might think about certain issues or rule on things based on their other orders or past statements. These skills are really crucial.