Are Federal court judges underpaid?

Question

U.S. Federal district court judges are paid $165,200 annually; appeals court judges make $175,100; associate justices of the Supreme Court earn $203,000; the chief justice gets $212,100.

Two members of the U.S. Supreme Court claim that current salary levels are insufficient to attract the best-qualified candidates. Yet, I've not heard of a single instance in which a proposed appointment was turned down based on salary. Are they underpaid, or are lawyers in general overpaid?

Do we really "want" jurists who are in it for the money, and by "best qualified" do we mean in terms of political and business connections, book knowledge, experience level, or basic common sense? It would seem to me that all of these qualifications except common sense and book knowledge would be more of a hindrance than a help for someone deciding Constitutional issues independent of outside influences, and they have staffs to provide them with book knowledge.

Answer 1

No, judges aren't underpaid. Just because they don't make the obscene sums lawyers in private practice do doesn't mean they're not extremely well off when measured against any reasonable standard, such as what the average government employee makes. Federal judges earn $165,000 and up. I should be so poor!

Answer 2

The simple problem is that there are private sector attorneys who don't even put their names into consideration because of the huge salary hit they'd take. And there HAVE been federal judges who've retired to return to practice for more money.

The problem is that most federal judges are life government employees -- prosecutors, DOJ attorneys, administration attorneys, etc -- or are law professors, and dont' come from the private sector. Yet many of the cases that come before federal courts are extremely lengthy and high-dollar complex civil litigation cases. Judges need to have a background in the civil system, how litigation really happens, and how to understand the parties and settlement. The federal bench misses out when those talented lawyers don't even consider the profession.

Remember that judges' salaries havenot been increased for inflation.

(P.S. hardly ANY cases in federal court really deal with serious constitutional issues. Maybe 1 in 100 criminal cases and 1 in 500 civil cases.)

Answer 3

They are grossly underpaid for what they do. In private practice most of them could earn twice what they are paid. We want judges who are, smart, honest and follow the law. Connections should not be in the formula.