Occupation · SOC 23-1023
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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—
Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
69 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingWritingSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingSocial PerceptivenessActive LearningMonitoringTime ManagementNegotiationSystems AnalysisService OrientationPersuasionInstructingCoordinationSystems EvaluationManagement of Personnel ResourcesLearning StrategiesOperations AnalysisMathematicsTechnology DesignScienceManagement of Material ResourcesManagement of Financial ResourcesProgrammingOperations MonitoringTroubleshootingRepairingQuality Control AnalysisOperation and ControlInstallationEquipment SelectionEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Law and GovernmentEnglish LanguageAdministration and ManagementPsychologyCustomer and Personal ServicePublic Safety and SecurityComputers and ElectronicsTherapy and CounselingPersonnel and Human ResourcesSociology and AnthropologyCommunications and MediaEducation and TrainingAdministrativeMathematicsEconomics and AccountingTelecommunicationsForeign LanguageGeographyHistory and ArcheologyPhilosophy and TheologyMedicine and DentistryTransportationChemistryBiologyBuilding and ConstructionPhysicsMechanicalEngineering and TechnologyProduction and ProcessingSales and MarketingFood ProductionFine ArtsDesign
Technology & tools
Adobe AcrobatCourtroom scheduling softwareEmail softwareHyland OnBase Enterprise Content ManagementInstant messaging softwareLexisNexisLinkedInMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMicrosoft operating systemOnline databasesThomson Reuters WestlawVideoconferencing softwareWeb browser softwareWord processing software
Representative tasks
Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsGetting InformationPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsProcessing InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsDocumenting/Recording InformationOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkScheduling Work and ActivitiesInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesWorking with ComputersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesAnalyzing Data or InformationResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersThinking CreativelyGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationDeveloping and Building TeamsTraining and Teaching OthersAssisting and Caring for OthersCoaching and Developing OthersProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersControlling Machines and ProcessesSelling or Influencing OthersStaffing Organizational UnitsInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesHandling and Moving ObjectsRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentPerforming General Physical ActivitiesDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Legal pleadings and motions — read and summarize to identify key facts and issues under judicial supervision in a trial court setting.Applicable procedural rules — monitor and apply during hearings under the guidance of a senior judge in a state or federal courtroom.Evidentiary standards — recognize and flag potential admissibility concerns with support from mentoring judges during preliminary proceedings.Legal management software and document management systems — navigate and use to organize case files under direct oversight in a judicial chambers environment.Jury instructions — research and draft initial versions for review by a supervising judge in routine criminal or civil matters.Allegations and supporting evidence — review and assess basic alignment between claims and documentary submissions in lower-court hearings.Written case summaries and bench memoranda — prepare to assist presiding judges in understanding complex legal questions in high-volume dockets.Applicable statutes and sentencing guidelines — identify and reference to support judicial decisions under close supervision in criminal proceedings.Courtroom decorum and procedural protocols — observe and enforce under direction during initial assignments in magistrate or limited-jurisdiction courts.Legal research and information retrieval tools — apply to locate relevant precedents and statutory authority under supervisory guidance in a judicial office.
developing
Pleadings, motions, and supporting briefs — read, analyze, and synthesize independently to ascertain controlling facts and legal issues in civil and criminal matters.Courtroom proceedings — monitor and manage to ensure consistent adherence to applicable rules of procedure and evidence in routine trial court matters.Evidence admissibility determinations — rule on with reduced oversight by applying established evidentiary standards in both bench and jury trials.Jury instructions — craft and deliver clearly to guide jurors in applying the law to the facts presented in standard criminal and civil cases.Defendants convicted by jury — sentence according to applicable statutory guidelines and case-specific factors in criminal proceedings with limited appellate complexity.Plaintiff allegations and presented evidence — evaluate during hearings to determine whether sufficient factual basis supports proceeding to trial.Written judicial decisions — compose on routine matters, articulating findings of fact and conclusions of law in a clear, legally sound format.Witness testimony and examination methods — regulate by ruling on objections and directing proper conduct during trial proceedings.Civil damages and compensation awards — calculate and issue in relation to jury verdicts or court findings in standard tort and contract cases.Office suite and word processing software — use proficiently to draft orders, rulings, and correspondence within a judicial chambers workflow.
proficient
Complex legal pleadings and dispositive motions — analyze autonomously across civil, criminal, and administrative matters to resolve contested factual and legal issues in high-stakes litigation.Full trial proceedings — preside over independently, managing all procedural, evidentiary, and decorum issues in both jury and bench trial environments.Non-routine evidentiary questions — resolve by applying nuanced reasoning across constitutional, statutory, and common-law frameworks in federal or state courts.Comprehensive jury instructions — design and deliver for complex multi-count cases, directing juries to distinguish legal standards and deduce facts from competing evidence.Sentencing decisions in complex criminal cases — render by weighing statutory mandates, sentencing guidelines, mitigating and aggravating factors, and precedent in high-profile proceedings.Written judicial opinions — author on novel or complex legal questions, producing well-reasoned, precedent-setting decisions suitable for appellate review.Significant civil damages and equitable relief — award by independently evaluating jury verdicts, damage calculations, and equitable principles in multi-party litigation.Systemic docket management — execute using legal management software and information retrieval tools to maintain efficiency and fairness across a full judicial caseload.Difficult witness and party behavior — address with social perceptiveness and self-control to preserve courtroom integrity during contentious high-stakes proceedings.Interdisciplinary legal problems spanning psychology, public safety, and government administration — resolve by integrating cross-domain knowledge in specialized courts or complex regulatory matters.
advanced
Judicial philosophy and jurisprudential standards — establish and articulate at the court or circuit level to shape consistent legal interpretation across a broad range of cases.Landmark written opinions — author on constitutional or novel statutory questions, producing decisions that set binding precedent across jurisdictions or federal circuits.Judicial colleagues and law clerks — mentor and develop by modeling rigorous legal reasoning, ethical integrity, and impartial decision-making in a court leadership role.Court-wide procedural reforms and administrative policies — design and implement to improve efficiency, access to justice, and consistency across judicial divisions.Complex multi-party, multi-jurisdictional litigation — preside over and resolve at the highest levels, managing competing legal frameworks and significant public interest implications.Judicial training programs and bench–bar initiatives — lead and contribute to at the state, circuit, or national level to elevate the quality of judicial practice system-wide.Sentencing policy and evidentiary rule development — advise on and contribute to through judicial councils, commissions, or legislative liaison roles.Systemic issues in court operations, public safety, and legal administration — analyze and address through organizational leadership and strategic coordination with executive and legislative stakeholders.Ethical standards and professional conduct expectations — model and enforce for the entire court, reinforcing integrity and dependability as cornerstone judicial values.High-profile, socially significant cases involving civil rights, constitutional law, or public policy — preside over with the authority, intellectual rigor, and transparent reasoning expected of the judiciary's most senior officers.
Also known as
43 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Administrative Court JusticeAppeals SpecialistAppellate Court JudgeAppellate Immigration JudgeBallot Processing JudgeBankruptcy JudgeChancery MasterChief JudgeCircuit Court JudgeCircuit JudgeCounty Court JudgeCounty JudgeCourt of Appeals JudgeCriminal Court JudgeCriminal JudgeDistrict Court JudgeDistrict JudgeElection JudgeGeneral MagistrateImmigration JudgeJudgeJuristJusticeJustice of the PeaceJuvenile Court JudgeLegal RefereeMagisterial District JudgeMagistrateMagistrate JudgeMunicipal Court JudgeMunicipal Court MagistrateMunicipal JudgePolice JudgePolice JusticePolice MagistratePresiding JudgeProbate JudgeRestorative Justice CoordinatorSuperior Court JudgeSuperior Court Justice