Legal Definitions - clerk

The term "clerk" can function as both a noun and a verb, describing a person who performs specific administrative duties or the act of performing those duties.

• As a noun, a clerk is an individual whose primary responsibilities involve managing, organizing, and maintaining records, documents, or administrative tasks within an office, business, or governmental body. This role often requires meticulous attention to detail and ensuring information is accurately recorded and accessible. A specialized type is a law clerk, who is typically a law student or recent law graduate assisting a judge or attorney with legal research, writing, and case preparation.
• As a verb, to clerk means to perform the duties of a clerk.

Examples:

• Public Official Clerk: In a local government office, Mr. Henderson serves as the Town Clerk. His responsibilities include maintaining official town records, such as meeting minutes, property deeds, and voter registration lists. He also oversees local elections and ensures that all public documents are properly filed and available for public inspection.

  This example illustrates a clerk as a public official who is entrusted with the crucial task of maintaining official government records and ensuring their accuracy and accessibility.

• Administrative Support Clerk: At a busy medical clinic, Emily works as an administrative clerk. Her daily tasks involve processing patient intake forms, organizing medical records, scheduling appointments, and managing incoming and outgoing correspondence. She ensures that all patient information is accurately recorded and easily retrievable by the medical staff.

  Here, Emily functions as a clerk in a support role within a business, handling essential administrative and record-keeping duties that keep the organization running smoothly.

• Law Clerk: After graduating from law school, Michael accepted a position to clerk for a federal appellate judge for one year. His duties involved conducting extensive legal research on complex cases, drafting summaries of legal arguments presented by attorneys, and assisting the judge in preparing written opinions that explain the court's decisions.

  This example demonstrates both the noun form (Michael is a law clerk) and the verb form (he clerks for the judge), highlighting the specialized legal role of assisting a judge with research and writing.