Georgia judges are underpaid. That is actually an understatement. Georgia judges are terribly underpaid. That is still an understatement. The data is compelling and disturbing.
The starting pay for the larger Atlanta law firms is now $145,000. It is shocking – but it is also true. While there is little that can be done about starting salaries at some of the most prestigious law firms in America, it does provide a useful benchmark for assessing the pay of seasoned, talented and intelligent jurists who have long passed their first foray into the law.
So, first year lawyers fresh out of law school will make $145,000. After excelling in nineteen years of schooling followed typically by a year or two of judicial clerkships accompanied by the often times sizable student debt following law school, they undoubtedly believe they deserve it. Of course, not all lawyers make this kind of money. Big law firms justify this level of compensation by insisting that it is necessary to attract the most talented and gifted lawyers – a goal the State of Georgia undoubtedly shares for its judiciary.
Unfortunately, that is where any meaningful comparison of judges to attorneys in the private sector in Georgia ends. Currently, the State of Georgia pays Superior Court judges approximately $31,530 LESS than the starting pay of a lawyer at a large Atlanta law firm. While most state judges receive a supplement from local counties and jurisdictions, it is no where near the amount they would command in the private sector. The fact is – Georgia is not competitive in its compensation of judges if its goal is to attract and keep the most talented and gifted lawyers by paying them.
Indeed, Georgia’s appellate judges (those serving on the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court) are in no better shape. Georgia Court of Appeals judges are paid $157,000 while Justices on the Georgia Supreme Court are paid $158,000. Any comparison to partners in big, medium, or smaller law firms would be embarrassing. And, Georgia should be embarrassed. The best estimates are that judges are paid approximately one-third of what their counterparts in the private sector are paid.
While the pay is much lower, the risks for judges in today’s world are so much greater. Disgruntled litigants pose serious and immediate dangers to judges and their families. Random acts of violence threaten the lives of judges and court personnel. Political campaigns are now more expensive and contentious than ever. The internet and constant news coverage guarantee that any misstep is posted everywhere.
Basically, Georgia judges are understaffed, overworked and underpaid.
Yet, they have one of the most important roles in an open and free country based on the rule of law. They resolve disputes. This is no small thing. Whether private litigants or public officials, judges civilly and peacefully decide controversies. At the core of a constitutional republic, judges separate chaos from order; armed conflict from peaceful resolution; and, a democracy from tyranny.
There was a time when the common retort to arguments for judicial pay increases was that there was no shortage of people who wanted to be judges. That is no longer the case. Increasingly, lawyers are taking a pass on leaving lucrative law practices in favor of judicial public service. Those who chose to serve, as well as those who continue to serve, do so at great personal sacrifice.
Given the importance of our judiciary in modern times, there is no legitimate reason not to increase the pay of judges – dramatically. Eventually, inadequate judicial pay will lead to crisis in our constitutional form of government – if it is not already there.
When bridges collapse, people lose their lives and only then does the government react. When the judiciary collapses, lives, liberty and rights, including the right to justice for all, are lost. Georgia cannot wait for a collapse to act.
Georgia judges deserve respect for the jobs they do. Respect begins with fair and meaningful compensation. Anything less is a disservice to them and an embarrassment to Georgia.