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Judge

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Do you want to work within the law? Are you great at looking objectively at a situation and helping mediate an argument? If you want to put your analytical and decision making skills to good use, working as a judge could be the perfect career for you.

Are you interested in becoming a judge? Explore the criminal and human rights law sector jobs and commercial law sector jobs accepting applications right now.

Types of judge

Judges are the authoritative voice at a court hearing. They are the objective person, the one interpreting the law. Judges are relevant in both civil and criminal law. Civil law deals with plaintiffs and defendants, the plaintiff initiating the lawsuit against the defendant. Criminal law deals with defence and prosecution where the prosecution is working on behalf of the state to convict the defendant. 

A case being within civil or criminal law changes the powers that a judge has. For example, in civil law, judges don’t have the power to imprison a defendant but in criminal law, judges do. Whilst there are a huge number of types of judge that you could be, here are the main examples:

High court judge

High court judges are some of the most senior judges within the system. You deal with the most severe criminal cases including murder. High court judges also deal with the most complex civil cases, for example cases between international organisations.

Circuit judge

Circuit judges deal with less severe cases than high court judges. This can be in civil or criminal law. 

District judge

District judges work within magistrates’ courts. They deal with the majority of cases that are heard. As with high court judges and circuit judges, district judges can work with either criminal or civil law.

What do judges do?

Judges are responsible for making sure a court hearing follows procedure and is done in an orderly manner. Here are the tasks that you have as a judge:

  • Run the court hearing.
  • Explain legal terminology to members of the jury.
  • Listen to evidence and decide whether it’s admissible in law or not.
  • Use the evidence presented to make a judgement about the guilt or innocence of a defendant.
  • Use existing cases and knowledge of the law to decide on an appropriate punishment or ruling.

Judge career path

Judges have a nontraditional career path. This is because you can’t leave education and immediately become a judge. You need at least 10 years of experience in the legal field before you can progress to judge level. Here is the career path that you could follow to become and progress as a judge:

Entry-level

You start your career as a graduate within the legal sector. Becoming a judge requires an intimate understanding of the legal system and how to perform well in court. This is why many judges work as barristers before progressing to the judiciary. You start your career as a barrister in a pupillage. This is a training position where you learn the necessary skills that you need for when you’ve finished your training and can practise as a barrister. 

Career progression

With at least 10 years of experience and demonstrating your excellent legal knowledge and expertise, you become a judge. Since the judiciary system is organised into a hierarchy, working your way upwards means gaining experience in the types of court. You begin in a magistrate’s court or in a county court. Here, you work on less severe cases.

Future career

You can progress through the court system up to the high court, then the court of appeal and then to the supreme court of the UK. Being a judge in any of these courts makes you a senior member of the judiciary and requires a lot of experience and a great track record. Aspiring to work in one of these courts is a great ambition but remember that it’s a highly competitive area with many potential candidates and relatively few positions.

Judge salaries

Working as a judge gives you authority and recognition for your experience. The salary you earn depends on the type of court you work in. Here are the salaries that you could earn in the career path:

  • Before becoming a judge, you work through a barrister position. As a trainee barrister, you earn between £12,000 and £20,000 per year and progress to up to £60,000 per year as a fully qualified practising barrister.
  • As a district judge, you earn an average of £115,000 per year.
  • As a circuit judge, you earn an average of £140,000 per year.
  • As a high court judge, you earn an average of £190,000 per year.
  • As a supreme court judge, your salary could be beyond £230,000 per year.

You can learn more about the salaries in the judiciary with the Ministry of Justice’s official salary figures from 2020 onwards.

Qualifications and training

Working as a judge requires years of experience and training in your education and also in your working life. Here are the qualifications and training that you need to become a judge:

Education

Since judges need experience in the legal field for ten years before moving to a judicial position, the qualifications that you need are the same as any practising barrister. This means having an undergraduate degree in law or an undergraduate degree in another subject and a conversion course into law. On top of this, you need time in a pupillage where you learn how to succeed as a barrister. Then, you need to complete the bar exam. You can learn more about the bar through the Bar Standards Board and the Bar Council.

Work experience

Since becoming a judge is a highly sought after role, having some work experience alongside your time as a barrister is a great way to show your interest and get noticed. You can get some official work experience by following the Judicial Work Shadowing Scheme.

Judge skills

Throughout your time as a barrister, you gain many necessary skills that you need for your career as a judge. Here are the skills that help you succeed:

Hard skills

  • Legal understanding. Being a judge requires you to have an expert understanding of the law. Not only do you need to make judgements on whether a party’s actions have broken a law or violated any part of it, you also need to explain complex legal terms to members of the jury who are in no way experts.
  • Knowledge of courtrooms. Being in a courtroom has its own set of rules. You should understand the nuances of how every person should behave, how they should address you and even how they should dress. As a judge, you may wear different robes and attire depending on the type of court case you’re hearing.

Soft skills

  • Analytical and critical thinking skills. Part of your role is listening to evidence provided by barristers and solicitors on both sides of the litigation. Being able to analyse the evidence and think critically about the accuracy and whether the whole picture is being provided, helps you come to a rational and fair judgement.
  • Confidence. Being a judge requires a great deal of confidence. You’re the one who is running the court and making sure that the proceedings play out in the proper way. Having confidence means you can be authoritative and conduct the court well.
  • Decision making. Your job is looking at evidence, hearing the verdict given by the jury and making a decision on punishment or penalty based on this. You should be great at coming to a decision with rational thought and sticking to this decision.

 Pros and cons of being a judge

There are good and bad parts of working as a judge. Understanding the positive and negative can help you decide if being a judge is a good long term goal for you. Here are the pros and cons of a career as a judge:

Pros

  • You get to act as an important part of the legal system. 
  • It's a highly respected and coveted position.
  • You can earn a lot of money as a judge.
  • You might get the opportunity to make a decision which acts as a legal precedent for future legal cases.

Cons

  • Entering the career path is difficult because it requires many years of practising law before you can become a judge, and even then it’s a competitive field.
  • It’s a high pressure working environment which can make your job stressful.
  • Learning the standard attire and accepted way of proceeding in a court can take a while. Representatives are pretty strict and stick steadfastly to the rules.
  • It’s a very public position and any wrong steps can lead to widespread criticism.

Judge work-life balance

Court sitting hours are 10.30am to 4.30pm but your work as a judge extends beyond these hours as you have to do preparatory activities. Generally, with the hours you work it’s possible to maintain a good work-life balance as a judge. However, if you’re working on a particularly difficult or complex case, you may be thinking about your work during your home life. Most of your work is in the courtroom. As such, you have to dress properly and follow courtroom norms throughout the working day.

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