United States federal judge Facts for Kids

A federal judge in the United States is a special kind of judge who works for the U.S. government. These judges serve in courts that were set up under a part of the U.S. Constitution called Article Three.

These important judges include:

The Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Circuit judges who work in the U.S. Courts of Appeals.
District judges who work in the U.S. District Courts.
Judges of the U.S. Court of International Trade.

People often call these judges "Article Three judges."

Unlike the President or U.S. senators, federal judges are not chosen by voters. Instead, the President picks them, and the Senate must agree to the choice. Once appointed, these judges usually keep their jobs for life. They only leave if they retire, pass away, or are removed through a special process called impeachment.

It's important to know that not all judges who work for the federal government are "Article Three judges." For example, U.S. magistrate judges or judges in courts like the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts are different. Their power comes from Congress under Article One of the Constitution, not Article Three. These judges do not serve for life. They are often called "Article One judges."

Becoming a Federal Judge
What Federal Judges Do
How Long Judges Serve and What They Earn
How Judges Can Retire
How Many Federal Judges There Are
Other Types of Federal Judges
See Also

Becoming a Federal Judge

To become a federal judge, a person must be chosen by the President. Then, the Senate has to approve the President's choice. This process is described in the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution does not say that a person needs to be a certain age or have a special education to be a federal judge. There are no rules about how much legal experience they need either.

What Federal Judges Do

The main job of federal judges is to solve problems and make decisions in cases that come before the federal courts. Most federal courts in the U.S. can only hear certain types of cases. This means they only deal with cases allowed by the Constitution or federal laws.

However, federal district courts handle many different kinds of cases. These can be about civil matters (disputes between people or groups) or criminal matters (when someone is accused of breaking a law). District judges have the power to manage their cases. They can set dates for trials and hearings. They can also punish people who behave improperly in court. Other times, their actions are guided by federal laws or rules made by the court system itself.

How Long Judges Serve and What They Earn

Federal judges usually keep their jobs for their entire lives. This is because the Constitution says they "shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour." This means they serve until they resign, pass away, or are removed from office. Removing a federal judge is a very serious process called impeachment, which is done by Congress.

As of 2023, federal judges earn a yearly salary. For district judges, it's about $232,600. Circuit judges earn around $246,600. The associate Supreme Court justices make about $285,400, and the Chief Justice earns about $298,500.

Some people, like Chief Justice John Roberts, have said that judges should earn more money. They worry that if the pay isn't high enough, the best lawyers might not want to become judges. This could make the federal court system weaker.

How Judges Can Retire

Federal judges can retire and still receive their full salary for the rest of their lives. This salary also increases with the cost of living. There's a common rule called the "Rule of 80." This rule helps judges know when they can retire or take "senior status."

For example, if a judge is 65 years old, they can retire if they have served for 15 years as an Article III judge (65 + 15 = 80). The rule also works with different ages and years of service. A judge who is 70 years old can retire if they have served for at least 10 years (70 + 10 = 80).

How Many Federal Judges There Are

There are currently 890 official Article III judgeships. This includes:

Nine judges on the Supreme Court.
179 judges on the courts of appeals.
677 judges for the U.S. District Courts.
16 judges on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Nine judges on the Court of International Trade.

The exact number of active federal judges changes all the time. This is because judges retire or pass away, and it takes time to appoint new ones. Also, Congress sometimes adds more judgeships to a court. This usually happens when the population grows or a court has more cases to handle.

While the number of Supreme Court justices has stayed the same for a very long time, the number of judges in other federal courts has grown a lot. For example, the number of appeals court judges has more than doubled since 1950.

Other Types of Federal Judges

Besides Article III judges, there are other federal judges who serve for a set amount of time, not for life. These include United States magistrate judges and judges in courts like the United States bankruptcy courts or the United States Tax Court. Even though they don't have lifetime jobs, they still play an important role in the U.S. justice system.

United States federal judge facts for kids

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