In the legal world, the judge looms large.
He or she is the ultimate authority in a courtroom; what he or she says goes.
But what exactly are the specific duties of a judge? How does a person actually become a judge? A judge is the person who presides over a trial or over another court activity.
He or she is the person who makes rulings whenever a dispute arises in the courtroom.
If an attorney objects to another's attorney's question or line of questioning, the judge will have to decide on the spot whether or not to sustain that objection or overrule it.
The judge also decides what evidence and what witness testimony are admissible during a trial.
He or she explains to defendants what their rights are.
The judge also gives detailed instructions to a jury, instructions that are often critical to the jury's deliberations.
For example, a judge can tell a jury to ignore a certain piece of evidence.
And judges can rule on motions.
For example, if an attorney files a motion to have a certain juror struck from the jury because he or she may be impartial for some reason, or a defense attorney files a motion to have the location of a trial moved because this lawyer feels the defendant cannot receive a fair trial in a particular location, then the judge has to carefully weigh that motion, consider the applicable laws and review past rulings, and then rule in favor of or against that motion.
In some cases, it is the judge and not a jury who decides if a defendant is guilty or if a defendant is liable for damages and must compensate a plaintiff.
These rulings come only after careful research and consultation with special legal assistants called law clerks.
The judge can also bring attorneys together to mediate disputes and negotiate settlements between two parties.
And while judges command respect and yield great power, it's difficult being a judge in many instances.
There's a lot of pressure to make exactly the right ruling, there's a lot of work to do every day, and many rulings are controversial by nature and lead to bitter disputes among the general public.
To become a judge, it helps greatly to have a degree in the law.
The American Bar Association, and other esteemed legal bodies as well, provide special training programs to help judges acquire all the skills they'll need for the bench.
Many judges served as lawyers for a long time before becoming judges.
Judges typically become judges in one of two ways: they are either elected by voters or they are appointed by a prominent politician.
Some judges enjoy lifelong appointments, too-the justices of the Supreme Court, for example.
Judges often make a hundred thousand dollars a year or more, sometimes considerably more.
And many judges are authorized to preside over weddings and issue marriage licenses, which is a nice perk of the job.