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Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Occupation Detailed Description

Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

The main tasks and work activities of Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates are to direct courtroom activities or procedures, make decisions in legal cases, rule on admissibility of legal proceedings, conduct hearings to investigate legal issues. In general, for the Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates, active Listening, critical Thinking, judgment and Decision Making, reading Comprehension and other 14 skills are required.
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related ExperienceExtensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job TrainingEmployees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
ExampleThese occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.16%
Some College Courses
0.16%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.16%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
99.52%

Tasks and Work Activities of Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

  • Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
  • Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
  • Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
  • Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.
  • Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.
  • Interpret and enforce rules of procedure or establish new rules in situations where there are no procedures already established by law.
  • Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
  • Advise attorneys, juries, litigants, and court personnel regarding conduct, issues, and proceedings.
  • Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues.
  • Conduct preliminary hearings to decide issues, such as whether there is reasonable and probable cause to hold defendants in felony cases.
  • Write decisions on cases.
  • Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
  • Settle disputes between opposing attorneys.
  • Supervise other judges, court officers, and the court's administrative staff.
  • Impose restrictions upon parties in civil cases until trials can be held.
  • Rule on custody and access disputes, and enforce court orders regarding custody and support of children.
  • Grant divorces and divide assets between spouses.
  • Participate in judicial tribunals to help resolve disputes.
  • Perform wedding ceremonies.
  • Provide information regarding the judicial system or other legal issues through the media and public speeches.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or PeopleAssessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Direct courtroom activities or procedures.
  • Make decisions in legal cases.
  • Rule on admissibility of legal proceedings.
  • Conduct hearings to investigate legal issues.
  • Identify implications for cases from legal precedents or other legal information.
  • Research relevant legal materials to aid decision making.
  • Prepare written decisions for legal proceedings.
  • Authorize payments to settle legal disputes.
  • Arbitrate disputes between parties to resolve legal conflicts.
  • Supervise activities of other legal personnel.
  • Administer oaths to court participants.
  • Inform the public about policies, services or procedures.
  • Serve court ordered documents.

Skills and Abilities for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Laser printerse.g. Computer laser printers
  • Microphonese.g. Courtroom microphones
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Digital voice recorderse.g. Digital audio recorders
  • Digital video disk players or recorderse.g. Digital video players
  • Gavels or sounding blockse.g. Gavels
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Laser fax machinee.g. Laser facsimile machines
  • Special purpose telephonese.g. Multiline telephone systems
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Tablet computerse.g. Tablet computers
  • Teleconference equipmente.g. Teleconferencing equipment
  • Videoconferencing systemse.g. Videoconferencing equipment
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.