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 ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingReading ComprehensionSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingWritingActive Learning
Knowledge areas
Law and GovernmentEnglish LanguageAdministration and ManagementPsychologyCustomer and Personal Service
Technology & tools
Document management softwareLegal management softwareElectronic mail softwareInstant messaging softwareInformation retrieval or search software
Representative tasks
Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.Write decisions on cases.Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.Advise attorneys, juries, litigants, and court personnel regarding conduct, issues, and proceedings.Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues.Interpret and enforce rules of procedure or establish new rules in situations where there are no procedures already established by law.Issue arrest warrants.Settle disputes between opposing attorneys.Impose restrictions upon parties in civil cases until trials can be held.Supervise other judges, court officers, and the court's administrative staff.Rule on custody and access disputes, and enforce court orders regarding custody and support of children.Conduct preliminary hearings to decide issues, such as whether there is reasonable and probable cause to hold defendants in felony cases.Grant divorces and divide assets between spouses.Participate in judicial tribunals to help resolve disputes.Provide information regarding the judicial system or other legal issues through the media and public speeches.Perform wedding ceremonies.
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
48 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Criminal JudgeCriminal Court JudgeBallot Processing JudgePolice JudgeMunicipal JudgeSuperior Court JusticePresiding JudgeElection JudgeCourt of Appeals JudgeProbate JudgeCounty Court JudgeRestorative Justice CoordinatorMagisterial District JudgeTrial JusticeChief JudgeAppellate Immigration JudgeAppeals SpecialistAdministrative Court JusticeSupervisory Litigator (Marine Corps 4452)MagistrateTrial Court JudgeCounty JudgeJuvenile Court JudgeJustice of the PeaceDistrict JudgeAppellate Court JudgeTribal JudgeLegal RefereeMunicipal Court MagistrateMagistrate JudgeSC - Judge Advocate General Corps (Navy 250)General MagistrateCircuit JudgeImmigration JudgeSuperior Court JudgeBankruptcy JudgeMunicipal Court JudgeJusticeChancery MasterJudge