The court proceedings over which a judge presides may or may not involve a jury. In a non-jury criminal trial, the judge is responsible for determining the innocence or guilt of the defendant. In civil cases, the judge determines the liability of each party and compensation if applicable.
In addition to managing court proceedings, a judge may also maintain a law practice or act as a legal educator.
If you love the law, but don’t want to be a lawyer, you may be surprised to learn that there are many other options available. Judges are very important in our legal system and they often hold the power to decide who gets what. If you want to be one of those people who holds that power, it’s important to understand how to become a judge without being a lawyer.
How to become a judge without being a lawyer
How to Become a Judge Without Being a Lawyer is a comprehensive guidebook based on the author’s experience as an appointee to the United States Bankruptcy Court. What distinguishes this book from the standard legal text is its step-by-step development of the key elements of judicial decision making and the interrelationship between them. It will be especially useful for anyone interested in thinking about, preparing for and taking a clerkship examination for any federal court; anyone who wants to become an attorney but does not want to practice law; and anyone grading clerkship examinations or participating in mock oral arguments before bar review courses, judges or practicing attorneys.”
How Long Does It Take to Become a Judge?
How long it takes to become a judge varies. Some factors that influence the length of time it takes to become a judge include the number of years you spent as an undergraduate, how long it took you to get in and out of law school and pass the bar exam, how long you practiced as an attorney and the type of judge you want to be.
For most people, it takes about seven years to become a licensed attorney?four years in college and three more in law school?before passing the bar exam. But this timeframe may be longer or shorter for some individuals, depending on their unique circumstances.
For example, a two-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) program takes six years instead of seven. In contrast, a five-year undergraduate program plus three years in law school means eight years of schooling before you may become a practicing attorney.
After you become a licensed lawyer, you can officially begin working toward becoming a judge. There’s no set amount of years you need to practice as a lawyer before becoming a judge. While you’re lobbying for a judgeship, however, you can practice law privately.
Some aspiring judges may work in a government agency, with the city or county prosecutor’s office, or as a legal consultant. During this time, you can further your legal education by getting a Master of Law degree (L.L.M.) or Doctor of Law degree (J.S.D. or S.J.D.) to solidify your knowledge of every area of law.
After years of practice, you may earn an appointment or be elected as a judge, especially if you have extensive experience in trial proceedings. That said, there are certain types of judgeships in specific states that don’t require legal practice experience.
How to Become a Judge
By following the below steps, you can qualify to be a judge in most states in the U.S.:
1) Earn Your Undergraduate Degree
First, you’ll need an undergraduate degree before you can qualify to get into law school. What you major in doesn’t matter much to prospective law schools, so we recommend taking a path about which you are passionate. But it is important to remember that law schools do care about your grade-point average (GPA). If you graduate with a GPA of at least 3.00 to 3.50, you’ll increase the likelihood of getting into your preferred law school.
2) Pass the LSAT
You’ll need to pass the law school admission test (LSAT) to get into most law schools. The law school you want to attend will help you identify how high you need to score on the LSAT to be considered for acceptance. The average score among LSAT takers is 150. But to get into a top-10 law school, you need a score of at least 165, and for a top-50 law school, you’ll need a score of at least 155.
Your LSAT score and your GPA are the primary factors on which law schools depend to determine whether they’ll grant you admission to their program. That said, some law schools have begun accepting graduate record examinations (GREs) in place of LSAT scores.
3) Earn Your Juris Doctorate
Not every type of judgeship requires that you get a law degree and become a lawyer. But if you want to qualify to become a judge in a higher court, you must attend an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school and get a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.
A full-time J.D. degree program takes three years to complete. While a part-time program can take four years, there are also accelerated programs that take two years.
In law school, you’ll learn about torts, contracts, civil procedure, criminal law, ethics, and everything else you need to practice law. You can also pick up specialized courses in family law, tax law, or other aspects of the law that interest you.
4) Pass the Bar Exam
After graduating from law school with your J.D., the next step is to take the bar exam. You will complete the bar exam in the state where you intend to practice and hope to become a judge. After passing the bar exam in your chosen state, you are then officially an attorney licensed to practice.
5) Practice as an Attorney
Not every type of judgeship requires that you have experience as an attorney, but it helps to have experience. For example, you can practice as an attorney in a law firm, on your own as a sole practitioner, or by representing the government as a public prosecutor.
