WHAT HOURLY RATES CAN I EXPECT AS A GRADUATE LAW CLERK?
Graduate law clerk salaries vary and depend on the employment setting and, for private practice, on the size of the law firm. Most graduates who work as temporary law clerks work with small (1-25 attorneys) and mid-size firms (26-50 attorneys). In the Los Angeles area these potisions typically pay between $15 and $25 per hour. In addition, staffing agencies offer temporary document review projects with large law firms, and these positions typically pay between $25 and $45 per hour. Rates are often negotiable depending on previous work experience. Government and public interest organizations often do not have the budget to pay graduate law clerks and depend on externs and volunteer law clerks but on occasion will offer paid positions (e.g., District Attorneys, California Attorney General). The pay varies widely.
