How Can I Become a Judge?
A judge is someone who presides over both civil and criminal legal cases filed within the courts. A judge may hear anything from a minor traffic case to a precedent-setting civil rights lawsuit depending on what court she presides over. In the United States, the court system is divided into federal and state courts. Judges for federal courts are all appointed, while state court judges may be appointed or elected.
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Education
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In most cases, the path to becoming a judge requires completion of a four-year undergraduate program as well as three years of law school at an American Bar Association accredited school. In some states, such as California, a bar examination applicant may apply with less than four years of undergraduate school and without attending an ABA accredited law school. Bar examination applicants from foreign countries are usually evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if they have the equivalent education.
Licensing and Experience
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Individual states regulate lawyers who wish to practice law in that state. As such, each state administers its own bar examination and qualifies anyone wishing to become licensed in that state. Most states require applicants to pass the bar examination and the multi-state responsibility examination and submit to some type of character and fitness or background check. Once licensed, a lawyer who ultimately wishes to become a judge should gain as much experience as possible practicing law. Some judicial positions require a candidate to have a designated number of years of experience, while others have no minimum requirement.
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Appointment
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All federal judgeships are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. Among the states, some judges are elected and some are appointed. Some states, such as California, even have a mix of appointed and elected judges. In states in which a judge must be appointed, a candidate generally must apply to the governor's office and then go through a screening process. On the federal level, candidates are frequently suggested to the president by senators or other high-ranking members of the candidate's political party within her state.
Election
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In order to become a judge through the election process, a candidate must first place his name on the ballot. This is usually done through a nomination process by the local political parties. Each party will nominate a candidate for an open judicial position for the upcoming election. The candidate must then campaign and obtain the majority of the votes on election day.
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