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Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

Also called: District Court Judge, Judge, Magistrate, Superior Court Judge

What they do:

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.

On the job, you would:
  • 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.
On the job, you'll need:

Safety and Government

  • law and government
  • public safety and security

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Business

  • management
  • customer service

Math and Science

  • psychology

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Verbal

  • listen and understand what people say
  • read and understand what is written

Ideas and Logic

  • use rules to solve problems
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Enterprising

People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.

  • Integrity
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Self Control
  • Analytical Thinking

Electronic mail software

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Document management software

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Hyland OnBase Enterprise Content Management

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $151,030

Education

Doctoral degree or professional degree is usually needed.

Explore More

See other careers in the Government industry.