How to Become a Municipal Judge

The municipal judge is often a leader in his or her community.

A municipal judge is often the busiest judge in his or her community, with many responsibilities. These could include interpreting the law, managing multiple legal cases, hearing motions and deciding verdicts. To become a municipal judge, you must hold a Juris Doctorate or law degree, take and pass your state's bar exam to become a licensed attorney, and be appointed or elected as a judge. The process to become a municipal judge is different in every state, and every community with local rules governing the process.

Things You'll Need

• Law degree
• Law license in the state in which you wish to judge

Instructions

1. Earn a Juris Doctorate. To be a municipal judge, you must earn a law degree, called a Juris Doctorate, before you become a licensed attorney. You do not have to take the bar exam in the same state that you attend law school. This is a general prerequisite to being any kind of judge. The Juris Doctorate is received after the undergraduate degree,typically after an additional three-year course of study. Law schools in the United States are accredited by the American Bar Association.

2. Take and pass your state's bar examination. To practice law in a state, you need to take that state's bar exam, a multi-day test that ascertains your mastery of state law and larger legal principles. Being admitted to practice law in a state is contingent on both passing the bar exam and passing a background check, and in many cases on passing the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam. Again, this is a general prerequisite to being any kind of judge.

3. Establish strong ties with the community where you hope to judge. This puts you as an attorney in constant contact with the issues of a given community, and can provide contacts to help you get appointed or elected. Doing this will help you understand the local rules that govern how to become a municipal judge in the community where you hope to work.

4. Get appointed or elected as a municipal judge. Municipal judges are either appointed by a state or local governing commission, or elected in a general election. While federal judges generally have lifetime appointments, municipal judges usually have fixed terms of office that are renewable by either appointment or election. These rules are highly state-specific.

   For example, in New Jersey, municipal judges are generally part-time and appointed by the mayor, although joint appointments are made by the governor. In New Jersey, these are part-time positions. This is typical, as most municipal judges are local and also act as attorneys.

5. Maintain your continuing education credits. A municipal judge needs to continue his state Bar membership, so he must take the required courses to maintain one's license. These are called continuing education credits and classes must be reported to the state Bar in which you practice. Some states may waive continuing education credits for judges, but please consult with your local Bar association to get clarification as each state is different.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn the procedures for your specific locale, as the rules are different in every municipality.

• Don't assume that what will work in one region to become a municipal judge will work in others.

References

• American Bar Association
• New Jersey State Bar