Guide to a Career as a Judge

Starting a career as a judge is not as simple as deciding that you want to be one. Judges are either appointed or elected, and must usually first be employed with the district attorney’s office in the jurisdiction where they want to be a judge. Judgeships are highly competitive positions and usually require some type of political support.

Judges are expects of the law, and therefore should have a degree of Juris Doctor (a law degree) and have passed the bar exam in their state of practice. They should also have pursued employment with the D.A.’s office and made it clear that they wish to pursue a career as a judge.

Judges are responsible for presiding over courts of law and making decisions based on their own interpretation of laws, statutes, regulations and mandates. They can work in civil, criminal, appellate or juvenile courts at the county, state or federal level. The requirements for judgeship and magistrate positions vary widely depending on the type of position desired.

Judges where robes, work forty-hour weeks and spend most of their time in courtrooms and their chambers (offices). They spend a great majority of their time researching previous cases to establish precedent for current ones and meeting with attorneys over motions and appeals. Judges can also be employed as mediators or arbitrators, who work in private offices to negotiate meetings between disputants.

Judges are required to participate in continuing education programs, as the law changes on a regular basis. They will attend seminars, take classes and sit in on lectures delivered by legislators. They must agree to abide by the ethical standards upheld by all judicial employees and they must be willing to always act in an objective and professional manner while presiding over court proceedings.

The salary expectations for a career as a judge will vary widely depending upon where you decide to work. The lowest-paying judges in 2005 earned less than $30,000 per year, though the national average ranks somewhere around $60,000. Federal judges who have worked in the judicial world for many years can earn as much as $140,000 per year.