Final answer:
Law clerks in the Supreme Court assist justices with emergency applications, research, drafting judicial opinions, and case reviews. Although their roles are crucial, they are not automatically commissioned as notaries. Their influence on the judicial decision-making process is significant and their positions highly sought after.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of law clerks in the Supreme Court is multifaceted and indispensable. Each justice is assisted by three or four law clerks, who are often recent law school graduates. These clerks carry out a variety of duties, including help with emergencies, where they aid in deciding on critical applications like stay of execution requests. They also conduct research and draft judicial opinions, offering significant support in writing majority, dissenting, or concurring opinions. Furthermore, law clerks review cases in the "cert. pool" and make recommendations on which cases the Court should hear.
A Supreme Court clerkship is highly coveted and gives clerks the opportunity to significantly influence constitutional law, as noted in the profile of a United States Supreme Court Clerk. Their work is considered to be of great consequence, as many current and former justices have once been clerks themselves. However, court clerks are not automatically commissioned as notaries; such appointments are subject to state laws and separate processes.
The reliance of justices on their law clerks is tremendous and is often a subject of interest. Clerks perform tasks that directly influence the decision-making process of the justices, from selecting cases to crafting the opinions that will become part of the legal framework. The discretion and judgment exercised by these clerks have a lasting impact on the justice system.