Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
24,030 people do this job in the US. $153,990 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 94%
- 6%
- 0%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 28%. Today's estimate: 40%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 21 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 22% | 1.7 h25 min to 6.7 h | 43%Half by Nov 2026 | |
| Interpret and enforce rules of procedure or establish new rules in situations where there are no procedures already established by law.Done daily by most who do it. | 18% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | 32%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.Done several times a day by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 14% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | 65%Half by now | |
| Write decisions on cases.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 10% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | 20%Half by Apr 2027 | |
| Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 5 h2.5 h to 2.5 work days | 17%Half by Apr 2027 | |
| Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 h25 min to 6.7 h | 43%Half by Nov 2026 | |
| Participate in judicial tribunals to help resolve disputes.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 5% | 3.3 h50 min to 1 work day | 28%Half by Feb 2027 | |
| Rule on custody and access disputes, and enforce court orders regarding custody and support of children.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.1 h38 min to 6.7 h | 46%Half by Oct 2026 | |
| Supervise other judges, court officers, and the court's administrative staff.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Grant divorces and divide assets between spouses.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | 32%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Advise attorneys, juries, litigants, and court personnel regarding conduct, issues, and proceedings.Done daily by most who do it. | 2% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Settle disputes between opposing attorneys.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 1% | 38 min13 min to 2.5 h | 86%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers44% now, 88% by 2028
- Judicial Law Clerks26% now, 92% by 2028
- Lawyers10% now, 56% by 2028
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators21% now, 92% by 2028
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists42% now, 56% by 2028
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers15% now, 83% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).