LAW CLERK
Law Clerk falls in New Jersey's unclassified service: an appointing authority hires for it directly, without a civil service exam.
Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $63,663 to $92,953, and state payroll currently lists about 541 people in the title, most of them at Judiciary.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 3 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 3 employers and how to apply →Why this title is unclassified
This specification cites 11A:3-4, state unclassified service.
A title in the State unclassified service sits outside Title 11A unless a provision says otherwise. In practice that means no competitive examination to get the job, and none of the career service protections that come with it: no permanent status after a working test period, and no right of appeal to the Civil Service Commission from a removal. Appointment and removal rest with the appointing authority.
The rule that allocates a title to this service is N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.3.
Who employs this title
Law Clerk appears on the State payroll at 3 departments, most of them at The Judiciary.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| The Judiciary | 532 |
| Office of Administrative Law | 7 |
| Department of Law & Public Safety | 2 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 541 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $61,256. The agencies employing the most are:
- Judiciary (532)
- Office of Administrative Law (7)
- Law and Public Safety (2)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Examples of work
- Performs legal research activities of pending, proposed or existing legislation of a state department's or agency's statutes, public laws, and administrative codes interfaced with existing policies, programs, objectives, and functional outputs; prepares reports, and drafts official memoranda thereof for an attorney.
- Reviews drafts of proposed legislative initiatives, and prepares legal opinions of legislation for review and action by an attorney.
- Researches federal and state court decisions, court oases, and other legal opinions rendered on specific cases, trials, or formal proceedings.
- Assists an attorney in preparing for a court appearance involving criminal or civil cases, or other formal proceedings.
- Oversees the security of specific evidentiary papers, documents, or other articles obtained during a criminal or civil investigation.
- Prepares clear, accurate, and informative reports.
- Maintains essential and confidential records and files.
- Assists investigators and attorneys interviewing witnesses to obtain highly confidential, accurate, and accountable documentation and testimony involving criminal or civil cases before courts of law or other formal proceedings.
- Assists attorneys in providing liaison activities with federal, state, and local government agencies.
- Prepares legal documents and other legal memoranda.
- Advises interested parties of the provisions of the New Jersey Administrative Code, public laws, and other pertinent rules and regulations.
- Assists investigators in coordinating input; maintains management case file system of criminal and civil investigative matters, and queries to identify specific open related cases or closure of prior cases.
- May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- <b>REQUIREMENTS
- EDUCATION</b>
- Graduation from an accredited law school or university with a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree and the ability to meet the qualifications for admittance to the New Jersey Law Bar Examination.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.