◆ Law & Legal

What a magistrate
really does.

21 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

21evidenced tasks
24,030in the US (2025)
$153,990median pay / year
6systems it runs on
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Advise on legal matters
Advise the prosecution and defence on the applicable civil statutes an…3 sources agree

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The work, task by task

21 tasks
Hands on the work17
Advise on legal matters+
Advise the prosecution and defence on the applicable civil statutes and recent binding authority, cite the key sections and one persuasive case law, and draft a short written direction I can read into the record before noon tomorrow.
escojdonet3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Sentence defendants+
Determine and announce appropriate sentences for the three current guilty pleas, applying the sentencing guidelines, prior convictions, and victim impact statements, and draft sealed short reasons to be entered on the record before the adjournment at 4pm.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Rule on evidence admissibility+
Rule on the defence’s hearsay objection to the witness statement, cite the controlling authority and statutory test, set out a succinct evidential ruling with reasons, and place the ruling in the case file before court rises.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Rule on custody and access disputes, and enforce court orders regarding custody and support of children.+
Decide the custody and access application between Morgan Ellis and Jordan Price today, issue a written order enforcing custody and child support with findings on best interests and income, set a compliance review for six weeks and notify the child services officer and both parents.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grant divorces and divide assets between spouses.+
Finalize the divorce decree for Parker and Singh, allocate marital assets and debts per the law, set the effective date, and sign the decree today so the clerk can enter it and notify both parties' counsel of enforcement steps for noncompliance.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Perform wedding ceremonies.+
Conduct the wedding ceremony for Alex Carter and Jamie Liu at 3pm, confirm identity and marriage consent on the record, complete and sign the marriage certificate, and instruct the clerk to file it and issue certified copies to the couple.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Arbitrate cases+
Arbitrate the small claim between Ridgeview Contractors and Marlowe Interiors, accept exhibits, hear closing statements, issue a reasoned award on liability and damages today, and order payment terms with enforcement instructions to the clerk.
jd
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Administer justice+
Administer justice in the weekly civil calendar: resolve uncontested motions, schedule contested matters, sign routine orders with short reasons, and flag cases needing written opinions for preparation this week.
jd
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Watch and assess2
Grow the practice2

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
10 tasksMicrosoft Wordcompose the one‑page incident summary for the court fileOpen its task library →
9 tasksHyland OnBase Enterprise Content Managementaccess and review the official evidence bundles and uploaded jury communications stored in the court file
8 tasksCourtroom schedulingtrack the day’s hearings, counsel appearances, and courtroom allocations to spot disruptions and absences
6 tasksThomson Reuters Westlawsearch and cite current case law and statutory text for precise legal references
1 taskMicrosoft Excelcompute itemised damages, interest accruals and totals with transparent formulasOpen its task library →
1 taskLexisNexissupplies precedent and statutory history essential for interpreting contested legal provisions
Browse every evidenced software task →

The same task, four heights

this page is height one
ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Explain the theory behind the work
  • Draft, tidy and structure your writing
  • Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
  • Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Be in the room where a magistrate actually works
  • Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
  • Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
  • Live with the outcome
M · R6 of R7This job sits on judging — real theory, real diagnosis, but reality still holds the grading pen.

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025
  • $153,990 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
  • The lowest tenth earn near $46,950; the top tenth near $221,710
  • 24,030 people employed in this occupation

India

the occupation GROUP, not this job · PLFS via ILOSTAT 2025
  • ₹38,298 a month — the median for Professionals, the group this work sits in
  • India publishes pay by broad occupation group, so this covers many jobs besides this one. It is a shape, not a salary.
read this carefullyThese two numbers are not comparable and must not be converted into each other. One is a yearly figure for this job alone; the other is a monthly figure for a whole family of jobs. What travels between them is the pattern, not the amount: experience lifts pay almost everywhere.

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself
O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job15 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register5 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild8 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures UK NOS SFJCHCC071Adjudicate on minor charges against young people and young offenders inational standard UK NOS SFJDA1Obtain, analyse and provide information required for courts and formalnational standard

Close to this work

12 nearby
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Questions people actually ask

You spend most mornings in court: hearing preliminary hearings, ruling on evidence admissibility, and monitoring proceedings. Expect to read pleadings and motions before court and review evidence packets between hearings.

Afternoons often go to writing short decisions, signing arrest or search warrants, doing courtroom scheduling, and meeting with staff who manage files in Hyland OnBase or Microsoft Word. Some days are heavy on civil matters like custody, divorces, or small claims; other days focus on criminal preliminaries and arraignments.

You will use Westlaw or LexisNexis for legal research and precedents, and Microsoft Word to draft orders, opinions, and sentences. Judges and clerks usually rely on those for citations and case law.

Courtroom scheduling software manages daily dockets, Hyland OnBase stores filings and exhibits, and Microsoft Excel is used for tracking caseload statistics or bail schedules. Learn basic searching in Westlaw/Lexis and document retrieval in OnBase first.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 24,030 magistrates were employed, with a median annual wage of $153,990. The lowest tenth earned about $46,950 and the top tenth about $221,710.

Pay varies by state, court level, and whether you are a full-time judicial officer or a part-time magistrate. BLS provides the national picture but local government pay scales determine your actual salary.

Magistrates usually handle preliminary hearings, small civil cases, custody and support orders, and some sentencing; they often don’t preside over full felony trials. District judges handle major criminal trials, large civil cases, and full appeals.

A police magistrate is an older term for officials who handled arraignments and minor offenses; today’s magistrate role is more formal, with written opinions, use of Westlaw/Lexis, and authority to issue warrants and manage civil scheduling.

You need clear legal writing (for orders and opinions), quick fact-finding (for preliminary hearings), and calm courtroom management. Practical tech skills—using Word, OnBase, and Westlaw/Lexis—matter because documents and research are constant.

The single most useful skill on day one is clear, concise legal reasoning under time pressure: ruling on evidence admissibility, deciding custody motions, or finding probable cause quickly and explaining the decision in plain language.

You can use AI for brainstorming or to summarize long documents, but do not rely on it for legal research or final wording. Westlaw and LexisNexis are the authoritative sources for case law and citations; AI can hallucinate cases or get citations wrong.

If you use AI, verify every legal point, citation, and quotation against Westlaw/Lexis and your court records in OnBase. Keep confidentiality in mind: do not upload sealed filings, protected evidence, or any documents that violate privacy rules.

km/h RPM

How far can AI take you?

one question
Be honest — how far can a language model take you on judging?
There is a real answer, and it is not the flattering one.