Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates had median annual earnings of $94,070 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $44,970 and $120,390. The top 10 percent earned more than $138,300, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $24,250. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in 2002 were $112,720 in State government and $54,750 in local government. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers earned a median of $64,540, and arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators earned a median of $47,320.
In Federal courts, the following salaries apply: the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court earned $198,600, and the Associate Justices earned $190,100. Federal court of appeals judges earned $164,100 a year in 2001 while district court judges had salaries of $154,700, as did judges in the Court of Federal Claims and the Court of International Trade. Federal judges with limited jurisdiction, such as magistrates and bankruptcy court judges, had salaries of $142,324.
According to a survey by the National Center for State Courts, annual salaries of associate justices of States’ highest courts averaged $120,100 in 2002 and ranged from about $89,381 to $170,319. Salaries of State intermediate appellate court judges averaged $116,064 and ranged from $91,469 to $159,657. Salaries of State judges of general jurisdiction trial courts averaged $109,811 and ranged from $82,600 to $150,000.
Most salaried judges are provided health and life insurance, and contributions to retirement plans are made on their behalf.
Judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers apply the law and oversee the legal process in courts according to local, State, and Federal statutes. They preside over cases concerning every aspect of society, from traffic offenses, to disputes over the management of professional sports, to issues concerning the rights of huge corporations, to questions over disconnecting life-support equipment connected to terminally ill persons. All judicial workers must ensure that trials and hearings are conducted fairly and that the court administers justice in a manner which safeguards the legal rights of all parties involved.
The most visible responsibility of judges is presiding over trials or hearings and listening as attorneys represent the parties present. Judges rule on the admissibility of evidence and the methods of conducting testimony, and they may be called upon to settle disputes between opposing attorneys. Also, they ensure that rules and procedures are followed, and if unusual circumstances arise for which standard procedures have not been established, they determine the manner in which the trial will proceed, on the basis of their interpretation of the law.
Judges often hold pretrial hearings for cases. They listen to allegations and determine whether the evidence presented merits a trial. In criminal cases, judges may decide that persons charged with crimes should be held in jail pending their trial, or they may set conditions for their release. In civil cases, they occasionally impose restrictions upon the parties until a trial is held.
In many trials, juries are selected to decide guilt or innocence in criminal cases or liability and compensation in civil cases. Judges instruct juries on applicable laws, direct them to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdict. When the law does not require a jury trial or when the parties waive their right to a jury, judges decide the cases. In such instances, in a criminal case, the judge determines guilt and imposes sentences; in civil cases, the judge awards relief—such as compensation for damages—to the parties to the lawsuit (called litigants). Judges also work outside the courtroom, “in chambers.” In these, their private offices, judges read documents on pleadings and motions, research legal issues, write opinions, and oversee the court’s operations. In some jurisdictions, judges also manage the courts’ administrative and clerical staff.
Judges’ duties vary according to the extent of their jurisdictions and powers. They usually try civil cases transcending the jurisdiction of lower courts and all cases involving felony offenses. Federal and State appellate court judges, although few in number, have the power to overrule decisions made by trial court or administrative law judges if they determine that legal errors were made in a case or if legal precedent does not support the judgment of the lower court. Appellate court judges rule on a small number of cases and rarely have direct contacts with litigants. Traffic violations, misdemeanors, small-claims cases, and pretrial hearings constitute the bulk of the work of State court judges, but some States allow them to handle cases involving domestic relations, probate, contracts, and other selected areas of the law.
Administrative law judges, sometimes called hearing officers or adjudicators, are employed by government agencies to make determinations for administrative agencies. These judges make decisions, for example, on a person’s eligibility for various Social Security or worker’s compensation benefits, on protection of the environment, on the enforcement of health and safety regulations, on employment discrimination, and on compliance with economic regulatory requirements.
Arbitration, mediation, and conciliation—called appropriate dispute resolution (ADR)—are alternative processes that can be used to settle disputes between parties. All ADR hearings are private and confidential, and the processes are less formal than a court trial. If no settlement is reached through ADR, any statements made during the proceedings are inadmissible as evidence in any subsequent litigation.
During arbitration, opposing parties submit their dispute to one or more impartial persons, called arbitrators, for a final and binding decision. Few awards are reviewed by the courts, because the parties have agreed to be bound by the decision of their arbitrator, although in some cases, it is prearranged that the award will be only advisory. Mediation involves an attempt by the parties to resolve their dispute with the aid of a neutral third party and generally is used when the parties wish to preserve their relationship. The parties usually decide in advance how they will contribute to the cost of mediation. The conciliator’s role is to guide the parties to a settlement.
Employment of judges and magistrates is expected to grow more slowly than the average through 2012. Budgetary pressures at all levels of government will hold down the hiring of judges, despite rising caseloads, particularly in Federal courts. Most job openings will arise as judges retire. However, additional openings occur when new judgeships positions are authorized by law or when judges are elevated to a higher judicial office.
Public concerns about crime and safety, as well as a public increasingly willing to go to court to settle disputes, should spur demand for judges. Not only has the quantity of a judge’s work increased, but many cases have become more complex because of developments in information technology, medical science, e-commerce, and globalization. The prestige associated with serving on the bench should ensure competition for judge and magistrate positions. However, a growing number of judges and candidates for judgeships are choosing to forgo the bench and work in the private sector, where pay is significantly higher. This movement may lessen the competition somewhat. Becoming a judge also is often difficult because, not only must judicial candidates compete with other qualified people, but also, they frequently must also gain political support in order to be elected or appointed, and getting that support can be expensive.
Employment of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012. Many individuals and businesses try to avoid litigation, which can involve lengthy delays, high costs, unwanted publicity, and ill will. Arbitration and other alternatives to litigation usually are faster, less expensive, and more conclusive, spurring demand for the services of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators. Administrative law judges are expected to experience little to no change in employment, due to a slowing of growth in the Federal sector.
A bachelor’s degree and work experience usually constitute the minimum requirement for a judgeship or magistrate position. A number of lawyers become judges, and most judges have first been lawyers. In fact, Federal and State judges usually are required to be lawyers. About 40 States allow non lawyers to hold limited-jurisdiction judgeships, but opportunities are better for those with law experience. Federal administrative law judges must be lawyers and pass a competitive examination administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Some State administrative law judges and other hearing officials are not required to be lawyers.
Federal administrative law judges are appointed by various Federal agencies, with virtually lifetime tenure. Federal magistrate judges are appointed by district judges—the life-tenured Federal judges of a district court—to serve in a United States district court for a period of 8 years. A part-time federal magistrate judge’s term of office is 4 years. Some State judges are appointed, but the remainder are elected in partisan or nonpartisan State elections. Many State and local judges serve fixed renewable terms ranging from 4 or 6 years for some trial court judgeships to as long as 14 years or even life for other trial or appellate court judges. Judicial nominating commissions, composed of members of the bar and the public, are used to screen candidates for judgeships in many States and for some Federal judgeships.
All States have some type of orientation for newly elected or appointed judges. The Federal Judicial Center, American Bar Association, National Judicial College, and National Center for State Courts provide judicial education and training for judges and other judicial-branch personnel. General and continuing education courses usually last from a couple of days to 3 weeks in length. More than half of all States, as well as Puerto Rico, require judges to enroll in continuing education courses while serving on the bench.
Training and education requirements for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators differ from those for judges. Mediators who practice in State- or court-funded mediation programs usually must meet specific training or experience standards, which vary by State and court. In most States, individuals who offer private mediation services do not need a license, certification, or specific course work; however, many private mediators and most of those affiliated with mediation organizations and programs have completed mediation training and agreed to comply with certain ethical standards. For example, the American Arbitration Association (AAA) requires mediators listed on its mediation panel to complete an AAA training course, receive recommendations from the trainers, and complete an apprenticeship.
Training for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is available through independent mediation programs, national and local mediation membership organizations, and postsecondary schools. In 2002, 16 colleges or universities in the United States offered master’s degrees in dispute resolution or conflict management, and 2 offered doctoral degrees. Many more schools offer conflict-management specializations within other degree programs. Degrees in public policy, law, and related fields also provide good background for prospective arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators.
Legal training and mediation skills are useful in many other occupations, including counselors; lawyers; paralegals and legal assistants; title examiners, abstractors, and searchers; law clerks; and detectives and criminal investigators.
Information on judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers may be obtained from:
Information on arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators may be obtained from:
According to two new surveys released today, 76 percent of voters now believe that donors to judges' campaigns get special treatment in court-and even 26 percent of judges agree. Moreover, 8 in 10 state judges and 9 out of 10 voters are concerned that special interests are trying to use the courts to shape public policy to their own ends. "We depend on courts to protect our rights and ensure equal justice. During the 2000 judicial campaigns, 80 percent of special interest ads attacked judicial candidates, far outstripping the proportion of negative ads run by candidates and even political parties. "More than eighty percent of state judges run in contested or retention elections," said American Bar Association President-Elect Alfred P.
Summary of: http://www.justiceatstake.org/newsViewer.asp?breadcrumb=7&docID=742
PLAY VIDEO No immediate decision made in the Terri Schiavo hearing. People in a persistent vegetative state cannot think, speak or respond to commands and are not aware of their surroundings. They also might move spontaneously and even grimace, cry or laugh. Some people might regain some awareness after being in a persistent vegetative state, but others might remain in the state for decades. I want to go when my time comes.
Summary of: http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/21/schiavo/
Kokx holds a copy of the judge's decision recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry. The two are among the eight same-sex couples who went to court seeking the right to get married. Downing did not order King County to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because of an earlier agreement to let the state Supreme Court have the final say. If same-sex marriage were legal, more children would be raised in a home by same-sex adult partners whose marriage would bring them more family stability and social acceptance, he added. "We're so early on this as a social phenomenon that we don't have the capacity to measure it at this point in time," said Fuiten, senior pastor at Bothell's Cedar Park Assembly of God church.
Summary of: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001997229_gaymarriage05m.html
Buford Ellington to the Chancery Court of Davidson County . This the 6th day of June, 2005. Senate Bill 2249 Governor Phil Bredesen signed Senate Bill 2249/House Bill 2262 on Tuesday, June 7 th. The new law requires the judge to consider, but not be bound by, these advisory guidelines to arrive at an appropriate sentence which is subject to appellate review. Governor's Blakely Task Force Report Issued (Click on Link Below) Blakely v.
Summary of: http://www.tsc.state.tn.us/
says a judge's order tramples on his and his ex-wife's constitutional right to share their religious beliefs with their son. Bradford, chief judge of the Marion Superior Court, kept the unusual provision in the couple's divorce decree last year over their fierce objections, court records show. Jones' lifestyle and the belief system adhered to by the parochial school. "Their practices tend to be rather pacifistic. military accommodates Wiccans and educates chaplains about their beliefs, said Lawrence W.
Summary of: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260481
Several federal judges also attended the seminar, and the tension between the two groups, Tjoflat remembers, could have been cut with a knife. Some have set up formal councils with semiannual meetings. Others work more informally, with groups of state and federal judges meeting on an irregular basis or during annual bar meetings. Chief Justice Warren Burger advocated the formation of state-federal judicial councils and, under Chief Justice William H. State members are appointed by the Chief Justice of Louisiana, and federal members are appointed by the Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit.
Summary of: http://www.uscourts.gov/ttb/dec03ttb/concerns/
Judges and magistrates should encounter some competition for jobs. Demand for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is growing because of the high cost and long delays associated with litigation. In criminal cases, judges may decide that persons charged with crimes should be held in jail pending their trial, or they may set conditions for their release. When the law does not require a jury trial or when the parties waive their right to a jury, judges decide the cases. General trial court judges of the Federal and State court systems have jurisdiction over any case in their system.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos272.htm
Denver is the only district in Colorado that has separate probate and juvenile courts. More information on Colorado's court system is available from Colorado's Court System and from Denver Courts. Recent trial court rulings of interest are also available here. Information on specific Judicial Districts is available by using the links below. Included on these pages is contact information for each district and county court as well as juror information.
Summary of: http://www.courts.state.co.us/district/districts.htm
We provide educational programs and services for members of the Judiciary and the Bar as well as for court litigants. In general, mediators do not offer their own opinions regarding likely court outcomes or the merits of the case. The arbitrator's decision addresses only the disputed legal issues and applies legal standards. The neutral evaluator may also provide case planning guidance and settlement assistance with the parties' consent. Facilitation is a process in which an impartial facilitator helps parties to communicate and to constructively organize their discussion.
Summary of: http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ip/adr/index.shtml
About Email Me'); // --> Syndicate this site (XML) UTR Press Book ABA Journal (Dec. 2004) (PDF) Legal Affairs (May/June 2005) Litigation (Summer 2004) (subscription; PDF) Newsweek (July 19, 2004) The Legal Intelligencer (Dec. Although sizable, the federal bench is still small enough for UTR's readers to get a decent sense of some of its more colorful characters. With almost 900 members (or 1600 counting senior judges), the federal judiciary is roughly the size of the graduating class at a large high school. A3G's second justification for not discussing state court judges may require a bit more explanation.
Summary of: http://underneaththeirrobes.blogs.com/main/2004/07/state_.html