Law clerks perform a variety of legal tasks under the supervision of
solicitors, barristers or clerks of court. Law clerks may assist their
employers in all areas of law, including probating (proving the validity of
wills), conveyancing (dealings in land and property), criminal law, family
law, wills and power of attorney, insurance law, environmental law, human
rights law, company law and civil litigation.
How much can I expect to earn?
Full-time employed Law Clerk earn an average of $868 per week. The [average
annual salary for this job is $45136 excluding super.]
Personal requirements
interested in the law
good knowledge of the English language
able to work accurately with attention to detail
able to think logically and clearly.
This job also involves:
Mainly indoor work
Workers performing these jobs would usually be expected to spend more than
three-quarters of their day indoors, in an office, factory or other enclosed
area protected from the weather.
Reading or writing
These jobs require moderate or better reading and writing skills. Workers may
be expected to prepare, understand or act on written materials, such as
letters or reports. People may wish to avoid these jobs if their reading or
writing English skills are limited to a small range of words or phrases and
symbols. Jobs remaining may still require very basic reading or writing
skills.
This occupation offers jobs at the following skill levels:
Para Professional Jobs
Jobs in this group usually require completion of secondary education and/or
completion of some further study of a vocational nature, such as a Diploma or
an Advanced Diploma.
Professional Jobs
Jobs in this group usually require completion of a recognised Bachelor Degree,
or extensive relevant experience. Some jobs also require post-graduate study,
such as a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Master Degree.
Study requirements
At school, you can study these subject(s) to get a good foundation for this
occupation:
English
School subjects that include some aspect of English provide a useful
background to these jobs. In some cases an English-related subject is a pre-
requisite for entry to courses that provide the training for the job.
Duties and tasks of a Law Clerk
Law clerks may perform the following tasks:
search land titles to check details such as property boundaries and ownership of the property
attend settlements for the purchase or sale of land
examine contracts and obtain relevant information so that solicitors can proceed with finalisation
fill out necessary forms and lodge them with government offices or the courts
undertake company, business name, bankruptcy and other searches
assist with maintenance of bookkeeping records
assist with the preparation of briefing papers for use by barristers when a solicitor’s client has to go to court
assist clients by providing information about legal processes and statutory information
assist prosecution or defence lawyers in court and arrange for the attendance of witnesses at court
assist barristers and senior counsel with case management.
Specialisations
Settlement Clerk
A settlement clerk performs specialised administration work associated with
real estate settlements.