Law Clerk-Supreme Court

General Summary or Purpose

A letter of application addressed to:

The Honorable Lisa Fair McEvers
Judicial Wing, 1st Floor
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0530

An autobiographical sketch highlighting your achievement, life events relevant to your studies, or display an important aspect of your character.

A curriculum vitae.

An undergraduate transcript.

L.S.A.T. score report.

A law school application for admission.

One official law school transcript to date of application.

Three letters of recommendation, including at least one from a member of the law school faculty. If a faculty member is submitting a recommendation letter directly to the ND Court System, please upload a document stating such. Please have faculty email recommendation letters to hr@ndcourts.gov.

A writing sample that has been edited only by the applicant.

Three references (list these in the Reference section of the application).

It is acceptable to list the same individuals who provide letters of recommendation.

Major Responsibilities & Essential Functions

The Law Clerk is responsible for providing assistance to the justices by providing legal research, preparing case summaries, and preparing legal memoranda. Works closely under the direction of the justice.

• Conducts legal research, analyzes legal issues, and examines applicable laws prior to court decisions.
• Reads briefs, prior opinions, transcripts, court records, and documents.
• Analyzes legal issues and arguments.
• Performs legal research for statutes, legal precedents, regulations, or legislative history on relevant issues pertaining to the cases(s).
• Writes legal memoranda and statement of issues involved, including suggestions and recommendations to the justice. Drafts proposed opinions as directed.
• Complies references on law and decisions necessary for legal determinations, shepardizes cases either manually or by computerized inquiry.
• Reviews, edits, refines, and proofs opinions.
• Attends hearings and/or trials where research may be required to assist the court.
• Performs research and/or assists in the compilation of information and data needed for special projects that may be requested by the justice.

Minimum Qualifications & Certification or Licensing Requirements

• Requires a juris doctor degree from an accredited law school and some related experience in conducting legal research and legal writing.

Knowledge, Skill, & Physical Requirements

• Knowledge Requirements:
• Knowledge of general law, statutory law, and court case precedent.
• General knowledge of court administration and office management policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of court system operations, court procedures, and rules including legal rules of evidence, civil procedures, criminal procedures, and appellate procedures.
• Knowledge of logical legal theorems, their application to legal precedent, rules of legal interpretation, and statutory interpretation.
• Skill Requirements:
• Skilled in conducting legal research and the application and interpretation of legal concepts, principles, and legal theorems to the specifics of the individual cases.
• Skilled in the use of legal research resources and software (i.e. Westlaw, LawDesk, Miche, Premise, etc.) and general office support applications (i.e. word processing and other desktop software/applications).
• Skilled in formulating, writing, and drafting legal opinions in a clear, concise, and coherent manner in accordance with the requirements of the court.
• Skilled in applying fundamental legal principles, rules, concepts, precedents, and cases in addressing individual cases and legal problems/issues.
• Physical Requirements:
• The essential functions of the job typically require: grasping, walking, sitting, talking, hearing, feeling, seeing, fingering, and some repetitive motions or other reasonable methods that accommodate an individual in completing the essential functions of the job.
• Employee is subject to some limited travel in the performance of the job.
• Physical requirements can typically be characterized as Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Benefits

The North Dakota Court System offers an excellent benefits package including employer paid family health insurance premiums, retirement contributions and generous vacation and sick leave accruals, visit: Benefits

Contact Information

Employer
North Dakota Court System

Address
600 E Boulevard Ave, Mailstop 180
Bismarck, North Dakota, 58505-0530

Phone
(701) 328-4216

Website
http://www.ndcourts.gov