Pay Frozen, More New York Judges Leave Bench
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: William Glaberson
Source: New York Times
Date: July 4, 2011
While many judges remain on the bench until retirement or death, the growing pay gap between judges and other legal professionals has led many judges in New York to resign their seats on the bench. The New York Times reports that New York judges have not had a raise in 12 years, and that judicial turnover in the state has risen dramatically—almost 1 in 10 judges leave the bench annually, many to return to private practice where they can earn many times their judicial salaries. Although some critics claim that judges are overpaid to begin with, the Times notes that in New York City, even some law clerks earn more than the judges for whom they work. Courts across the nation are facing a number of challenges as they struggle to keep their doors open amidst budget shortfalls—reducing hours, raising fees, and laying off court personnel—but Georgetown Law Professor emeritus Roy Schotland believes that stagnant pay is “the single most important problem for our courts.”