Physical Health is Everything
As a brand-new judge, you are elated at having been appointed by the Governor or elected by your constituents, but your first day on the bench is both exciting and overwhelming. You may find yourself assigned to an area of practice that you have never learned as a lawyer or never had an interest in, and you have not started much less completed your state judges’ school or initial training. There have been many occasions where new judges feel stressed by circumstances that are beyond their control. This is why judicial wellbeing is imperative for all trial judges, and it starts day one!
Consider these tools:
Nutrition and eating well- It is important that you eat healthy food regularly. The fact that your caseload is heavy, and time is of the essence does not mean you should skip lunch or any meal. This may sound like an easy feat, but it can be difficult for all of us. Some of our colleagues may be vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian, gluten-free or macrobiotic and some may eat whatever may be available in between case calls. Planning what and when to eat means choosing a diet that is right for you. The goal is to navigate your likes, dislikes, and health needs on a regular basis. Remember, your staff needs to eat timely and properly too!
Exercise is crucial- How do you incorporate sufficient exercise or 10,000 steps when you sit all day in a courtroom for a living? Many judges head to a gym or their home gym early in the morning before they head to the courthouse. It is not easy, but other options include walking during a full lunch hour or leaving work on time and focusing on getting in your yoga, pilates, weightlifting, running, dancing, or working on those 10,000 steps! Consider walking with your colleagues, stretching in your chambers, standing on occasion during lengthy trials, or utilizing a standing desk.
Eliminate unnecessary stress in your life- Strive to reduce stress at home and at work. Surround yourself with people that care about you. A wise judge once said “hire good people and tell them their job is to make you look good”. It may sound impossible, but there is no substitute for skilled, caring, industrious resolute staff! Some trial judges have more staff support than others and some have more control over who works for them than others. The bottom line is to aim to surround yourself with good caring people at work and at home. Practice calming techniques, muscle relaxation, meditation, and most importantly develop good sleep habits and bedtime rituals. Life is short no matter how long you serve as a trial judge.
Mental Health is Paramount
Trial judges are known for being strong, independent, and hardworking officials, but no one is invincible. Whether running for election, speaking on the campaign trail or at bar association events, the public perception is that judges are powerful and in many respects they are. But trial judges are not all powerful. They must keep their mental health strong as they are depended upon daily to run their courtrooms with perfection and remain focused neutral, and unbiased.
Workplace mental health is just as important as maintaining one’s physical health especially when working in a stressful environment like a trial court. Trial judges are subjected to trauma. The world continues to recover from the Covid 19 crisis, and its impact on the courts. Many courts were closed for jury trials, and some are still not open for in -person hearings. Virtual hearings are here to stay, although in some instances trial judges were able to improvise by holding trials in various locations, even outdoors in warm weather climates. Some of us in colder climates simply continued with virtual hearings for motion calls, pre-trials, and bench trials. The number of jury trials were significantly reduced or eliminated. Today, trial judges are working just as hard, managing extremely busy dockets and keeping justice moving forward.
The National Judicial College (NJC), a major source for judicial education, recently conducted a survey in May 2024 during Mental Health Awareness Month and published their results on June 27, 2024, as their “Question of the Month”. The article states “just over half of judges who responded said the public physical and verbal attacks on the judiciary, along with the recent drop in public trust and confidence in the courts, have negatively affected their mental health. In total 413 judges responded to the question, with 222 answering yes and 191 responding no.
In addition, 147 judges left comments.” Noteworthy, the NJC offers “Mindfulness for Judges,” a course designed to assist judges with developing tactics to cope with trauma, anxiety, and stress while enhancing leadership and communications.
In addition, many trial judges and the public were shocked in September 2024, when Judge Kevin Mullins was shot and killed in his chambers in Letcher County, Kentucky. The local sheriff Shawn Stines has pleaded “Not Guilty” after being indicted by a Grand Jury, for one count of murder of a public official (judge Kevin Mullins). The trial is pending. Judges may suffer from occupational stress including sleep disturbances, feelings of guilt, irritability, anger management, eating disorders, hypertension, mild depression, and anxiety among other issues.
The NCSTJ provides members with personal development opportunities, CLE’s, program development, and speaking and writing opportunities. Judicial clerkship mentoring to eager law students, community outreach activities, including Law Day are also rewarding career benefits. Solo speaking and panel opportunities, bar association activities offering bonding with colleagues at private dinners and receptions that afford intimate sharing and socializing with experienced judges and all members of the judicial division.
Speaking of bonding opportunities, a Special Membership event is being planned for March 1, 2025. This incredibly fun Virtual Happy Hour is coming your way thanks to Judge Marguerite Downing, our NCSJT Chair-Elect and Chair of our membership committee and Judge Marshell Jackson Hatcher, our Outreach chair and their committee members have loads of fun instore for our Wine Tasting event in 2025!
The ABA Judicial Division, state trial judges handle vast and complex cases. We encourage and welcome your involvement and look forward to a fabulous 2025! Please contact Amy Dasgupta, our program specialist, at [email protected] with your interest in joining one of the below committees feel free to reach out to me directly, if I can ever be of any assistance with anything. Please join us, stay safe, and enjoy life, every day.
NCSTJ Committees:
- Membership
- Communications
- Judicial Outreach
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Programming