Lady Justice is a blindfolded woman carrying a balanced set of weights to advocate equality before the law. The Supreme Court Justice spearheads this progressive vision as an elected or nominated official whose role is that of an impartial decision-maker in the pursuit of justice. Continue Reading
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Explore Career Lady Justice is a blindfolded woman carrying a balanced set of weights to advocate equality before the law. The Supreme Court Justice spearheads this progressive vision as an elected or nominated official whose role is that of an impartial decision-maker in the pursuit of justice.
What are the typical responsibilities of a Supreme Court Justice?
A Supreme Court Justice would typically need to:
Supreme Court Justices work in offices and courtrooms with occasional travel to other courthouses in the country. They must follow traditions associated with the court they operate in, such as wearing a robe or a wig or wielding a hammer to set proceedings in motion.
Justices may also travel to give lectures or commencement speeches at university graduation ceremonies.
The schedule that Supreme Court Justices follow follows the opening term of the Supreme Court, which varies from country to country. Typically, the term is divided into periods of sittings and recesses, which do not necessarily follow a weekday or weekend pattern. During a sitting, Justices must present themselves in court to hear cases and deliver opinions. During recess, they work away from the court, studying trials and cases and writing opinions. The “vacation” periods between terms may help Supreme Court Justices catch up with legislative developments, case law, professional development and travel.
In general, however, the working hours of Supreme Court Justices are not necessarily limited by the sitting hours of the court. Justices spend considerable time beyond the working day to go through copious amounts of paperwork on present and past cases, especially because some cases are settled even before a court hearing date and time are set. Working late into the evenings is often required to read and process evidence and letters from parties to the dispute and other stakeholders and write judgments.
Depending on location, Supreme Court Justices are typically nominated or appointed by the head of state on the advice of relevant authorities, such as the prime minister, a monarch, or a special selection commission. In certain locations, the nomination is confirmed by the senate. Keep in mind the statutory age and residency requirements for the position.
Supreme Court Justices are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organisations, such as the International Organization for Judicial Training (IOJT), are crucial for Supreme Court Justices interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.
Depending on the country, aspiring Supreme Court Justices may need to have been working in high judicial capacity or practising lawyers for the requisite period. Even if specific work experience is not mandatory in all locations, aspiring candidates will do well to build judicial or governmental experience early in their professional lives. While many aspiring Justices learn their skills through legal practice, some learn by holding limited-jurisdiction judgeships if they do not have a background in law.
Typically, a degree program in law requires students to take up legal internships, which helps acclimate them to the professional world and may pave the way for a full-time job upon graduation. Upon graduating from law school, aspiring Supreme Court Justices may work as a judicial law clerk for a judge or serve on a court of appeals, acquiring experience and knowledge of the judicial process and building a solid network in judicial circles.
Depending on your location, academic pathway, and the position you apply for at the start of your career, you may be required to gather five to seven years of legal experience through pupilage or training contracts after graduating from law school.
You may not be able to acquire work experience at a Supreme Court in your location, although you may be able to visit it and sit in on hearings. Visiting courts at different levels to observe hearings will give you insights into the day-to-day working of the legal system. Consider marshalling for your local court justices or doing pro-bono work. It is valuable to engage in public speaking activities in university societies and moot court competitions or participate in trial advocacy teams and dispute resolution competitions during law school to learn how to translate your legal know-how into practice. Write articles and engage with scholarly journals to hone your research, comprehension and writing skills, indispensable for a Supreme Court Justice.
Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experts in the judicial field or government to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.
While it may not be mandatory for a Supreme Court Justice to be a lawyer or a law school graduate in all locations, in practice, Justices have usually received some form of legal education and training at accredited law schools.
The traditional route to becoming a lawyer in some locations, lasting five to seven years, is first to complete a bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) or a bachelor’s degree in any subject with a graduate law diploma added on. You would then top up either of these pathways with a bar professional training course or a legal practice course to qualify as a barrister or a solicitor, respectively, followed by a two-year training contract.
However, a new route for aspiring solicitors allows new entrants to take a two-stage qualifying exam in legal knowledge and legal skills followed by two years of qualifying legal work experience but without a contract.
In other locations, you can apply to a three-year Juris Doctor (JD) program at an accredited law school only after acquiring a bachelor’s degree, typically in political science, history, economics, philosophy, literature, government or mathematics. You would also need to take the relevant entrance exam to gain admission into the program. Acquiring a law degree qualifies you to take the bar exam, which is one of the requirements you must fulfil to practise as an attorney in your area of jurisdiction. Third-year students typically spend considerable time studying for the bar exam alongside their academic commitments.
Law programs include constitutional law, contracts, property law, civil procedures, legal writing, evidence, legal philosophy, advanced legal research, and jurisprudence. Other electives include torts, criminal law, international law, immigration law, antitrust law, and intellectual property law.
You may choose to acquire higher academic qualifications such as a master’s degree in law (LLM), which allows you to specialise in banking, international, tax or family law. You could also pursue a PhD in law or an LLD (Doctor of Laws), both being extensive academic study programs.
You may become a justice without university study by becoming a chartered legal executive first or after practising for five to seven years as a qualified solicitor apprentice.
Take classes in business, political science, psychology and other social sciences in high school to get into top-tier law schools and secure jobs at the best firms.
Certification demonstrates a Supreme Court Justice’s competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.
Typically, Supreme Court Justices who have practised law possess a license granted by relevant authorities based on having passed the requisite bar or other examinations. In such cases, you may not require a separate license. Requirements for any exams vary across countries. You must maintain your license by fulfilling the requirements of the location in which you practise.
With experience, you may move up the judicial ladder to be appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice. In some locations, Supreme Court Justices may enjoy life tenure, which means that they remain in office unless they pass away, retire, resign, or are removed from office following impeachment.
Candidates with a law degree from reputed law schools and adequate experience have the best job prospects.
Continuing professional development (CPD) will help active Supreme Court Justices build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. Given that Supreme Court Justices typically enjoy life tenure, CPD becomes crucial to allow them to upskill continually, regardless of age or level of knowledge.
CPD may include conferences, seminars, workshops and published resources on diverse and relevant topics that are practical, address the needs of Justices for competency, and improve judicial performance. Professional development must aim at equipping Supreme Court Justices with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle 21st-century challenges and changes in terms of technology, the pandemic, the various branches of law, and international legislation.
You may pursue higher educational qualifications in law or related fields as part of continuing education (CE). It would also be valuable for Supreme Court Justices to follow online or in-person courses to support the digitalisation of justice and build professional skills beyond legal training and education. Professional development must help Justices make the judicial system even more independent, efficient, accessible, forward-looking and equitable.
Universities may also confer honorary degrees on Supreme Court Justices, often at commencement ceremonies or other celebrations throughout the year.
Common Law vs Civil Law
Common law is uncodified and does not have an extensive collection of legal rules and statutes, relying mainly on precedent. In common law countries, court records and case law collections called yearbooks and reports guide presiding judges in deciding new cases. Thereby, judges play a crucial role in the evolution of laws. Common law incorporates the adversarial system in which opposing parties contest an issue before a moderating judge and a jury that may not necessarily have legal training. The judge uses the jury’s verdict to deliver an apt sentence.
On the other hand, civil law is codified with continually updated legal codes for what can be brought to court, relevant procedures and appropriate penalties. In the civil law system, the judge may be the one to bring forward formal charges and deliver a decision after investigating and establishing the facts of the case and applying relevant codes to them as established by the codified set of laws. However, a judge’s decisions do not as significantly shape the law as the decisions taken by legislators and legal scholars who formulate the code.
What It Takes to be a Justice
Given the nature of their work, Supreme Court Justices must possess the capability to read, process and research extensive case material. A thorough understanding of the law and legal procedures is indispensable to analyse the complexities of cases logically to arrive at well-considered decisions. Justices must have excellent writing skills to ensure that their documents, which imply finality and authority, are accurate, coherent, and comprehensive. An understanding of how the government works is invaluable as Justices work closely with
A Justice’s work has to do with people, which means that they must constantly engage with conflict resolution, which necessitates interpersonal skills. Furthermore, since Justices can occupy their positions for a lifetime, they must respect and get along well with each other. Above all, the nature of duties that Supreme Court Justices discharge is such that they must remain in good standing and display impeccable moral character, with not a hint of any criminal background. A proven track record of pursuing justice under the law is an invaluable asset.
The Role of the Supreme Court
In a constitutional form of government, the Supreme Court, as the highest legal authority in the land, plays a crucial role. Seekers of justice approach it as their last resort, and by exercising judicial review, it keeps a check on the powers that each government branch exercises. The Supreme Court is responsible for protecting civil rights and liberties by taking appropriate action on laws that violate the constitution. It ensures that democracy stays within its reasonable limits and that popular majorities do not pass laws that oppress unpopular minorities. The Supreme Court essentially guards the freedom of speech and religion, the due process of law and other values fundamental and common to all in the land.
History of the US Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court was established by the United States Constitution by the Judiciary Act of 1789 and witnessed its first assembly in 1790. The court represents a 225-year-old legacy of federal and just distribution of power among the three branches of the government.
Significance of the UK Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom was established to ensure transparency in the Parliament and secure the independence of the Lords. In August 2009, Justices moved out of the House of Lords into their own building on the opposite side of Parliament square. They assembled for the first time as a Supreme Court in 2009. Supreme Court verdicts shape not only society as a whole but each individual’s daily life as well.
The judiciary is the rightful interpreter of a country’s constitution and law, applying and defending them and, in some jurisdictions, using the process of judicial review to effect changes. It is truly an honour for a Supreme Court Justice to participate in an organ of the government, which holds such immense responsibilities, and preside over the legislative procedures and decisions that take place within its precincts.
Be sure to hone your analytical skills and attention to detail to deliver just verdicts. Temper your deep intelligence with modesty and a grip on reality. As a Justice, you are in a position of prestige, but you cannot solve every problem of the world. Recognise what the court cannot do and what it can.
Supreme Court proceedings may be available for general viewing or listening through live-streamed or recorded versions and may also be broadcast on major media networks.
What do Supreme Court Justices do?
A Supreme Court Justice would typically need to:
Accredited
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