JUDGE, MAGISTRATE JUDGE AND MAGISTRATE

Job Definition:

• Judges preside over civil and criminal proceedings in courts of law.

Job Description:

• Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May issue marriage licenses and perform wedding ceremonies.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
• 2) Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
• 3) Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.
• 4) Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.
• 5) Interpret and enforce rules of procedure or establish new rules in situations where there are no procedures already established by law.
• 6) Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
• 7) Advise attorneys, juries, litigants, and court personnel regarding conduct, issues, and proceedings.
• 8) Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues.
• 9) Conduct preliminary hearings to decide issues such as whether there is reasonable and probable cause to hold defendants in felony cases.
• 10) Write decisions on cases.
• 11) Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
• 12) Settle disputes between opposing attorneys.
• 13) Supervise other judges, court officers, and the court’s administrative staff.
• 14) Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
• 15) Impose restrictions upon parties in civil cases until trials can be held.
• 16) Rule on custody and access disputes, and enforce court orders regarding custody and support of children.
• 17) Grant divorces and divide assets between spouses.
• 18) Participate in judicial tribunals to help resolve disputes.
• 19) Perform wedding ceremonies.

Activities:

• 1) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 2) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 3) Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• 4) Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• 5) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 6) Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• 7) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 8) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 9) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 10) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 11) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 12) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 13) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 14) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 15) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 16) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 17) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 18) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 19) Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• 20) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 21) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 3) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 4) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 5) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 6) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 7) Problem Sensitivity — The 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.
• 8) Information Ordering — The 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).
• 9) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 10) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 11) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• 12) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 13) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Knowledge

• 1) Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• 2) Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• 3) Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge 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.
• 4) Personnel and Human Resources — Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• 5) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 6) Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• 7) Public Safety and Security — Knowledge 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.
• 8) Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• 9)  Psychology — Knowledge 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.
• 10) Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 11) Sociology and Anthropology — Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.