Judge Salary

A judge is a government officer; who is assigned the authority to hear and decide the verdict and to deliver justice between parties in courts. The judge controls the court of law, alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge presiding over a court of law is like a head of a family or a referee in a game. The judge is expected to give an impartial decision in a case. A judge oversees the trials and cases in federal, state and local courts. They preside over cases touching the various aspects of society, local offenses, dispute in management of companies and huge corporations.

It is the civil duty of a judge to ensure that all the trails and hearings are conducted fairly. The judge also has to assure that the legal rights of both the parties present in the court are protected. Judges often hear pretrial arguments of both the parties. This is an effort to settle the case before the actual trial begins. They often conduct pretrial sessions outside the courtroom, in their offices or private venues. The duty of the judge varies according to their jurisdiction. The judges of the federal and state courts have power over all cases in their systems. For the social control of the health and safety regulations and protection of the rights of an average citizen; the government has appointed administrative law judges. The judges of the appellate court have the power to overthrow decisions made by federal, state, trial and administrative law judges, if they find any legal errors in their decision. The majority of the state court judges are formed by municipal court judges.

Educational Requirements to Become a Judge

You require a law degree and training as an attorney for some years. Most judges in the initial years of their law practice have been lawyers. The judges of the federal and state court have been lawyers most of their life. To become a judge of a federal court you must pass a competitive exam held by the U.S. Office of Personal Management. Judges do most of their work in offices and in courtrooms. This is a demanding job. It also has a few health hazards; like sitting in the same position for a long period can lead to back problems. Judges work 40 hours a week, although most of them exceed their time limit and work more than 50 hours. In the United States a judge is addressed as 'Your Honor'. The judges of the supreme courts of United States and judges of supreme courts of the various U.S. states are called Justices. American judges wear black robes. In some states judges wear their normal dresses to work. Judges in America have ceremonial gavels for presiding.

Judge Salary Range

Judge salaries depend upon the court in which he/she is presiding.

• The annual salary of a federal district judge in the United States is $169,300.
• $165,588 is the average county judge salary.
• The average salary of a judge of an appeal court is $179,500.
• Bankruptcy and magistrate judges receive a salary of $155,756 annually.
• The annual salary of the chief justice of the United States is $223,500. The associate justice earns $213,900 per year.

The above given information on judge salary is according to market research 2010.

Salaried judges are provided with insurance plans for dental, life and health of the judge and his/her family. They also get perks like pension plans, judicial immunity protection, vacations, holidays, sick leaves and expense accounts.

So I hope this article about judge salary has provided you with an insight about the job description of a judge and the responsibility that comes along with it.