Should "Public Servants" Care About Their Pay?

Why oh why does anyone want to be a judge?  It's the serve the public, of course.  A person who has never done a pro bono case, volunteered at a soup kitchen, or even helped an old lady cross the street, when talking about becoming a judge, will mention his burning desire to serve the public.  Spare me. 

If judges are truly judges because they are but humble servants, why are they always complaining about their pay?  In New York state, judges are threatening everything from an illegal strike to a de facto work stoppage.  These judges, according to themselves, are making a pauper's living.  Is this claim true?

New York judges make $136,700 a year.  The median income for a family of four living in New York state is $67,857.  So the average judge makes about double the median household income.

But judges will tell you they are not the best paid people in New York.  Or that law firm partners make more money.  So what?  Really.  How is this relevant? 

A law firm partner or small-firm lawyer puts up with an incredible amount of stress, some really obnoxious clients, and a crushing workload to earn his large salary.  Unlike a judge, a lawyer doesn't set his own calendar or set his own working hours.  It's a life of stress, stress, stress, work, work, work.

Law professors make much less than law firm partners - less, even, than most first year associates at top law firms.  Does this mean law professors are underpaid?  I've never heard that argument seriously made.

That judges who make double the median income of the very people they "serve" are nonetheless complaining about their pay, tells me all I need to know about their motives for service.  Judges like the reduced workload and, more importantly, the power.  Which is fine.

There is nothing wrong with desiring a cushy working arrangement or a lot of power.  Who doesn't want one or - in the case of being a judge - both?  But there is something wrong with judges pretending that they are but humble public servants.

Comments

[markm]

If judicial pay was too low, the best judges would be quitting to go into private practice and talented lawyers would be turning down chances to become judges. So when you see claims like this for any public position, ask two questions:

1. Do we have a shortage of judges, and if so, how much of that is due to artificial barriers to people who want to and could do the job. (E.g., federal judge shortages often seem to be induced by the failure of the Senate to even vote on judicial nominations. Another example is teacher credentialing processes that seem to do very little to ensure new hires can teach, but do restrict entry to the field quite a lot.)

2. Is there a quality problem with the judges we have, and if so, is it because the best candidates turn down the job, or because the selection process doesn't pick the best candidates? (There are two approaches: voters who know very little about the legal system pick judges, or politicians who'd often prefer that the legal system not work perfectly pick judges. It's amazing that the results aren't even worse...)

[Scott Greenfield]

Judicial Reports has been obsessed about the issue of New York judicial pay increase. See "So You Want My Help?"

http://www.judicialreports.com/2007/05/so_now_you_want_my_help.php#more

[William]

Unless you are a multi-billionaire who doesnt want more money. On the other hand I wish I made a six figure income. That is kinda funny because with that kinda money I could find at least ten different ways to downsize and then invest to make up for the money I feel I should be making.That is just my outlook of how I would go about doing it. Who knows why people become what they want to be in life and then say this sucks. To bad we cant all just have dream jobs. I wish I did.
Also about the shortage of judges. No theres not a shortage just a lot more crime and when you have people in the law who do not even know how to follow the laws they swear to uphold or on the other hand do not even know them. Then what is the problem. Who knows anymore. Maybe we should use our technology to find some solution. The gov. has good ideas if it is constructed right.