NCJ Number
102129
Journal
Journal of Legal Studies Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1986) Pages: 417-426
Date Published
1986
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Appropriate income reduction should be required of all who enter the judiciary to ensure that monetary gain is not a central motive for serving on the bench.
Abstract
The government must be careful not to set judicial salaries too low, however, since this would probably lower the quality of persons attracted to the judiciary. Should salaries be so low as to require punitive reductions in income or to lower public perceptions of judicial status, qualified persons would not accept judgeships. Judicial compensation should be evaluated continually and adjusted according to changes in the opportunities available in private practice. A limitation of this screening structure is its likely exclusion from judgeships of highly qualified attorneys who earn relatively low incomes in private practice, since entering a judgeship would necessarily require a reduction in even the low income. Similarly, highly paid attorneys would not accept judgeships due to the significant reduction in income required. The value of the screening procedure, however, outweighs these disadvantages. 7 footnotes.