According to The Economist, Skadden Arps and Sullivan & Cromwell have set a new high in the bidding war for the clerks who have completed a stint at the Supreme Court. The firms offered signing bonuses of $300,000, which, when added to their salaries, amounts to a salary of  half a million dollars.

What do they do?

At the court, clerks are responsible for reviewing cases, helping prepare the Justices for Oral Argument , helping with the research for and assisting in the drafting of judicial opinions and assisting the justices in deciding emergency applications to the Court, says Philippa Scarlett, now a partner with the Washington office of Kirkland & Ellis. The court recruits 39 clerks, who are junior lawyers, for a year. Each Supreme court judge has four clerks to assist whilst the three retired judges are allowed one clerk each. John Roberts, the Chief Justice, earns $224,618 a year.