How to hire judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
• Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
• Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
• 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.
• Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
• Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
• Write decisions on cases.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Doctoral or professional degree]
• Strong active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, writing and active learning skills
• Working knowledge of law and government, English Language and administration and management
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $74.03 an hour ($153,990 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
6. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
7. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates do

• Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
• Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
• Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
• 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.
• Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
• Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
• Write decisions on cases.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingWritingActive LearningLaw and GovernmentEnglish LanguageAdministration and Management

Education, experience and outlook for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates

• Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 6 to 8 years (O*NET)
• Experience usually needed to start: 5 years or more (BLS)
• Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: +2.8% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 800 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
• Judicial Law Clerks
• Lawyers
• Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
• Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
• Compliance Officers
• Paralegals and Legal Assistants
• Detectives and Criminal Investigators
• Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
• Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.