Judge in 399: Athens judges by mass jury — Section 669: Athens judges by mass jury

Do you have to be a lawyer before becoming a judge? In common-law countries, yes: British, Indian, American and Australian judges are appointed from experienced lawyers, usually after fifteen or more years of practice. In most civil-law countries, no practice is required — France, Japan and South Korea select judges young, straight from law studies, through a competitive examination and a state judicial school. England also uses roughly 12,000 lay magistrates with no law degree at all for minor cases.

How long does it take to become a judge? In career judiciaries the route is fast: a French law graduate who passes the École nationale de la magistrature entrance exam can be sitting as a judge around age 27, nine years after leaving school. In common-law systems the bench comes late — a law degree, bar qualification and typically fifteen to twenty-five years of practice first, so most judges are appointed in their forties or fifties.

Mostly appointed — by independent commissions in the UK, by the executive with legislative confirmation for US federal judges, by judicial councils in much of Europe, by the collegium of senior judges in India. The great exception is the American states: 39 of the 50 use elections for at least some judgeships, a practice most other democracies deliberately avoid for fear of campaign money influencing rulings.