How to be a judge is one of the questions frequently asked by those who have completed a law degree or are studying it. Being a judge is, without a doubt, one of the professions of great need in society and with great job opportunities.
The path to be a federal judge requires great effort and a high capacity to successfully face the demanding level of studies that must be overcome to be able to practice the profession. And it is that, there are many people who each year consider training to be judges, an aspect that entails a high level of demand to select the suitable candidates to work as judges.
Judges are the highest authority within a court of justice. The judge is the person who has the authority to apply the law, and judge and sentence a defendant, declaring him innocent or guilty, depending on the evidence presented at trial. It is, ultimately, responsible for the application of laws.
There is also the figure of the justice of the peace, who is in charge of instructing minor civil and criminal matters in municipalities where there is no first instance judge.
Are you thinking of guiding your professional steps to act as a judge in your professional future? We help you with what needs to be done to achieve it!
How to be a Judge: what to study and for how many years
The first thing to take into account to direct the professional steps to be a judge, is that you have to study Law. It is an unavoidable requirement to guide your training to reach the goal: to be a judge.
Access to the Judicial Career requires extensive training and passing highly demanding oppositions. Although it implies years of study and effort, it is worth fighting for it, since you will gain access to a highly demanded professional function and with a promising professional future. If you are a person with a noble sense of justice, being a judge is your thing.
After passing the law degree and the qualifying master’s degree to practice law, you have to prepare for the oppositions for access to the judicial career, which you will have to pass and obtain a grade that allows access to the places offered. And it is that, approving the opposition does not mean that you will always have a place. The level of demand is maximum and you have to reach the grade that guarantees you have a place. The higher your score in the tests, the better to be able to choose your destination.
It is worth mentioning that the competitive examinations for judges or competitive examinations for the judiciary are among the most difficult that exist, something that is due, to a large extent, to the fact that the ability to memorize topics and laws continues to prevail over the practical skills necessary to face the various situations that a judge has to assume in his day to day.
The competitions for judge are usually called annually, varying the number of places depending on the needs and the State budget.
What types of judges are there?
Within the Judiciary there are different types of judges with different tasks. To access these positions, these are the requirements and processes:
- Justice of the Peace: appointed by the Superior Court of Justice of the autonomous communities at the proposal of the plenary session of each city council (this is what its jurisdiction is limited to). He is a non-professional judge, since he is not required to have a law degree, which he practices for four years with the possibility of being reelected. It assumes simple civil and criminal issues, such as misdemeanor trials, marriages, birth registration, etc.
- Career Judge: they are the civil servants of group A who have passed an opposition to practice in the different jurisdictional areas. To apply for this position, you must have a law degree or graduate degree.
- Magistrate: it is a higher scale of the judges that is reached by time of active service or by exclusive selective tests. They are intended for higher jurisdictional bodies such as Provincial Courts or Superior Courts of Justice.
- Magistrate of the Supreme Court: it is the highest scale of the judicial career. They are elected by the General Council of the Judiciary after a merit contest to which only magistrates with a minimum seniority of fifteen years can apply.