Kings never win battles. They just claim they did. The actual battle is fought and won by the soldiers who work relentlessly on the battlefield and risk their lives to bring glory to their king. And in the legal circles, law clerks are those dedicated soldiers. They form an integral part of the legal and judicial system and work tirelessly on understanding legal documents and generating proof and evidences – all in an effort to let their kings i.e., the lawyers, win their courtroom battles. A clerkship is an important stepping stone for those who intend to take up law as their career. These people do all the research and provide all the knowledge that front-end players need to execute and rationalize a courtroom brawl. They are responsible for preparing all the arguments, motions and other legal documents that assist the attorneys in the court. A law clerk locates and interviews expert witnesses, files motions or other documents with the court, oversees the delivery of subpoenas to witnesses, arranges travel or lodging for witnesses if needed and communicates with judges, attorneys, witnesses or other individuals related to a particular case. Tough job but definite growth path!
Courses As Law Clerk
Course Details
Eligibility
A diploma as law clerk requires a 10+2 from any stream. An additional knowledge of political science, legal system and various common laws like business laws and property law is an added qualification. Law clerks generally are students pursuing regular courses from law schools. As such, all the eligibility criteria applicable to law students are also applicable to law clerks.
Details Of Course Curriculum
The course curriculum follows the regular law course routine and includes a study of all the laws that a regular attorney must know. Some of the basic subjects dealt with during this course are:
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Legal Principals and Terminology
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Legal Writing
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General Law Office Procedures
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Legal research
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Constitution law and challenges
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Negotiation, Alternative Dispute Resolution
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Evidence
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Provincial Offences
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Civil Litigation
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Corporate, Commercial & International Law
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Immigration and refugee law
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Wills and Estates
Specialisations
The specialisations in this domain are based upon the kind of law that an individual intends to specialise in. a common list of laws that people generally prefer specializing in are as follows:
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Immigration Law
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Negotiation and Alternative Disputes Resolution
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Evidence
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Civil Litigation
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Family Law
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Real Estate Law
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Corporate and Commercial Law
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Legal writing and Research
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Amicus Attorney/PC Law
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Criminal Law
Skills Required
Along with a good knowledge of the legal system and various other laws, a law clerk must have the following skills in order to do his/her job well.
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Verbal and written communication skills – to draft and present legal documents efficiently.
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Organizational skills – are a must.
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Time-management skills – to work efficiently on deadlines.
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Critical thinking – to come up with effective arguments.
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Problem-solving ability – to deal with unexpected situations in the court.
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Decision-making skills – to channel court proceedings in desired directions.
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Ability to read and understand complex legal documents.
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Strong persuasion skills – to deal with witnesses.
Career Prospects
The career prospects of law clerks are aplenty. They are hired both by public and private institutions. Sometimes, smaller organisations, who cannot afford full-time attorneys, employ law clerks on full-time basis to prepare all legal documents. Also, experienced law clerks may be hired as full-time attorneys after they gain their required qualifications. A clerkship at the federal level is considered very prestigious which makes the selection process for these positions highly competitive. With more and more legal firms and freelancing lawyers cropping up in the legal circles, law clerk as a position is becoming very sought-after.
Best Schools
The best courses in this regards can be found in:
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Cardiff Law School, England
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Boston Law School, US
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The Bristol University Law School, UK
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Leeds Law School, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
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Columbia University Law School, US
Best Indian schools offering courses in this regard are:
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National Law School of India University, Bangalore
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ILS Law College, Pune
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University of Delhi, New Delhi
