Will judicial law clerks be replaced by AI?
Updated
Judicial law clerks score 49 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 66%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 11% outright, and 23% stays with people.
- 11% AI can do it
- 66% AI helps
- 23% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Higher than 72% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 18 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 4 of them today, speeds up 9 and leaves 5 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Enter information into computerized court calendar, filing, or case management systems. Structured data entry into case systems is highly automatable. | 80% AI can do it |
| Prepare periodic reports on court proceedings, as required. AI drafts periodic summaries from court records; clerk reviews accuracy. | 70% AI can do it |
| Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court. AI legal research tools surface cases; clerk verifies relevance. | 65% AI helps |
| Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief. AI summarizes filings and flags issues; clerk confirms the relief sought. | 65% AI helps |
| Coordinate judges' meeting and appointment schedules. Scheduling tools automate most coordination; final confirmations need the clerk. | 65% AI can do it |
| Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations. AI drafts memos quickly; clerk checks reasoning and sources. | 60% AI helps |
| Maintain judges' law libraries by assembling or updating appropriate documents. Digital library updates are largely automatable with light clerk review. | 60% AI can do it |
| Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations. AI proofreads citations well; opinion drafting needs judicial judgment. | 50% AI helps |
| Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes. AI tracks legal changes; clerk judges relevance to pending cases. | 50% AI helps |
| Review dockets of pending litigation to ensure adequate progress. Docket tracking is automatable; clerk acts on flagged delays. | 50% AI helps |
Show the other 8 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Respond to questions from judicial officers or court staff on general legal issues. AI answers general legal questions well; clerk verifies before answering. | 50% AI helps |
| Verify that all files, complaints, or other papers are available and in the proper order. AI checks digital file completeness; physical paper handling stays manual. | 40% AI helps |
| Communicate with counsel regarding case management or procedural requirements. AI drafts routine correspondence; sensitive case communications need clerk judgment. | 35% AI helps |
| Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders. Substantive legal discussion with judges requires live human judgment. | 15% Needs a person |
| Participate in conferences or discussions between trial attorneys and judges. Live attorney conferences with judges need human presence and judgment. | 12% Needs a person |
| Supervise law students, volunteers, or other personnel assigned to the court. Supervising people involves management, mentorship and accountability; AI helps little. | 12% Needs a person |
| Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information. Courtroom attendance and live oral argument require physical human presence. | 8% Needs a person |
| Perform courtroom duties, including calling calendars, administering oaths, and swearing in jury panels and witnesses. Administering oaths and calling calendars need physical courtroom presence. | 4% Needs a person |
How judicial law clerks compare
All occupations (923)
Legal (7)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $64,920 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 13,290 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +2.8% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Verify AI-drafted memos against Westlaw citations
- Run case searches and KeyCite checks in Thomson Reuters Westlaw
- Review pleadings and motions in Adobe Acrobat for relief sought
- Confirm judges' calendars and hearing dates in Microsoft Outlook
- Draft and check bench memos in Microsoft Word
- Supervise law students and assigned court personnel directly
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about judicial law clerks and AI
Will AI replace judicial law clerks?
Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly entering data into case management systems and preparing periodic reports on court proceedings. The clerk still reviews accuracy, verifies sources, and handles the courtroom, judge conferences, and supervision work that needs a person present.
Which tasks of judicial law clerks is AI taking over?
Structured data entry into court calendar and case management systems has an exposure score of 80, so AI handles most of it. Periodic reports on proceedings, scored 70, are drafted from court records, and the clerk checks accuracy before filing.
Which tasks of judicial law clerks stay human?
Courtroom duties such as administering oaths and calling calendars score 4 on exposure, and attending oral arguments scores 8. These need physical presence in the courtroom. Substantive discussion with judges, scored 15, requires live human judgment about legal questions and orders.
How can judicial law clerks stay valuable as AI takes over more work?
Verify every AI-drafted memo against primary sources in Westlaw and KeyCite each authority before it reaches the judge. Take on more judgment work, such as drafting recommendations on relief sought in pleadings and motions. Supervise law students and court staff who check AI outputs.
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