LAW CLERK

Job Definition:

Job Description:

• Assist lawyers or judges by researching or preparing legal documents. May meet with clients or assist lawyers and judges in court.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Search for and study legal documents to investigate facts and law of cases, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
• 2) Prepare affidavits of documents and maintain document files and case correspondence.
• 3) Research and analyze law sources to prepare drafts of briefs or arguments for review, approval, and use by attorney.
• 4) Review and file pleadings, petitions and other documents relevant to court actions.
• 5) Prepare real estate closing statements and assist in closing process.
• 6) Deliver or direct delivery of subpoenas to witnesses and parties to action.
• 7) Serve copies of pleas to opposing counsel.
• 8) Arrange transportation and accommodation for witnesses and jurors, if required.
• 9) Communicate and arbitrate disputes between parties.
• 10) Appraise and inventory real and personal property for estate planning.
• 11) Store, catalog, and maintain currency of legal volumes.

Activities:

• 1) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 2) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 3) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 4) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 5) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work –Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 6) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 7) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 8) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 9) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 10) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 11) Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• 12) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 13) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 14) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 15) Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• 16) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 17) Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• 18) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 3) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 4) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 5) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 6) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 7) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 8) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 9) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 10) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 11) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• 12) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 13) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Knowledge

• 1) Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• 2) Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• 3) Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• 4) Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 5) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.