IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Judges Program will no longer be offered. If you have any questions, please contact the director, Professor Earl Dudley.
To be eligible for admission a person must currently
be a judge in a state court system or on an Article III federal
court and be a graduate of an accredited law school.
Priority will be given to judges of the U.S.
courts of appeals, state supreme courts, and state intermediate
appellate courts. Although trial judges will be considered, because
of the priority given to appellate judges and the enrollment limit
of thirty, there is no assurance that any trial judges will be
admitted. Consideration will be limited to those sitting on federal
district courts or state trial courts of general jurisdiction.
From one to four trial judges have been enrolled in each class.
Factors considered in the evaluation of applications
include professional activities indicating commitment to the law
and the judiciary; the nature and quality of published writings
(including judicial opinions); the probable length of remaining
service in the judiciary; law school and college academic records,
and extracurricular activities. Major emphasis will be placed
upon the applicants' professional attainments and the likelihood
of their continuation in the judiciary.
Effort will be made to maintain a geographical
balance and an appropriate mixture of federal and state judges.
Evaluations by judicial colleagues will also be considered. Evidence
of an applicant's potential for leadership in the judiciary is
of particular importance. An intention to remain on the bench
for a substantial length of time is essential, and that should
be expressed in the personal statement accompanying the application
form.
Interested judges are encouraged to apply
as
early as possible because completed applications will be acted
upon prior to that date. An application is not complete until
the required transcripts and supporting letters are received.
It is the applicant's responsibility to arrange for these documents
to be sent to the director of the program by the application
deadline.
Admissions will be decided by the University
of Virginia School of Law through a designated faculty committee.
Prior to applying, a judge should arrange with
the appropriate judicial authorities for an absence from the court
during the six-week resident sessions over both summers. Prior
arrangements are necessary to avoid interruption of attendance
at the resident sessions.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The next class of the Graduate Program for Judges that was to have started in June 2006 has been postponed. We will post updates on the future of the program as they become available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact the director, Professor Earl Dudley.
Interested
judges are encouraged to apply as early as possible because
completed applications will be acted upon prior to that
deadline. An application is not complete until the required
transcripts and supporting letters are received. It is the
applicant's responsibility to arrange for these documents to
be sent to the director of the program by the application deadline.
Application | Conduct | Class
Profiles | Housing & Meals
Expenses & Financial Assistance
Once enrolled, a judge has the status of a graduate
student at the University of Virginia. As a University student,
each participant is subject to the rules and regulations governing
all students at the University. Information about conduct expectations
can be found on the University's Honor
Committee and Judiciary
Committee web sites.
Application | Conduct | Class
Profiles | Housing & Meals
Expenses & Financial Assistance
Read about three
judges in the Class of 2004.
| Residence of Participating
Judges |
| Alabama |
2 |
| Alaska |
1 |
| Arizona |
14 |
| Arkansas |
1 |
| California |
14 |
| Colorado |
4 |
| Connecticut |
1 |
| Delaware |
5 |
| District of Columbia |
3 |
| Florida |
19 |
| Georgia |
14 |
| Idaho |
5 |
| Illinois |
10 |
| Indiana |
6 |
| Iowa |
5 |
| Kansas |
5 |
| Kentucky |
7 |
| Louisiana |
13 |
| Maine |
6 |
| Maryland |
2 |
| Michigan |
5 |
| Minnesota |
1 |
| Mississippi |
2 |
| Missouri |
8 |
| Nebraska |
1 |
| Nevada |
3 |
| New Jersey |
9 |
| New Mexico |
5 |
| New York |
8 |
| North Carolina |
7 |
| Ohio |
6 |
| Oklahoma |
5 |
| Oregon |
4 |
| Pennsylvania |
5 |
| Puerto Rico |
3 |
| South Carolina |
3 |
| South Dakota |
1 |
| Tennessee |
4 |
| Texas |
25 |
| Utah |
3 |
| Vermont |
1 |
| Virginia |
9 |
| Virgin Islands |
1 |
| Washington |
3 |
| West Virginia |
1 |
| Wisconsin |
5 |
| Wyoming |
1 |
| Total
Jurisdictions |
47 |
| Total
Judges |
266 |
|
| Categories of Judges
at Time of Enrollment |
| U.S. Circuit Judges |
8 |
| U.S. District Judges |
23 |
| U.S. Bankruptcy Judges |
1 |
| State Supreme Court
Justices |
58 |
| State Intermediate
Appellate Judges |
159 |
| State Trial Judges |
17 |
| Total
Judges |
266 |
|
Application | Conduct | Class
Profiles | Housing & Meals
Expenses & Financial Assistance
Housing & Meals
Accommodations are available for all participants
in University-owned and operated apartments near the Law School.
Each apartment has a living-dining area, kitchen, two or more
bedrooms, and one bathroom. The apartments are air conditioned
and furnished, including study desks in the bedrooms. Kitchen
and eating utensils are not included. Housing outside of University
accommodations must be arranged by the participant.
Although each apartment has adequate kitchen
facilities, meals will be available in University dining halls,
as well as in nearby restaurants. Breakfast and lunch are provided
by the program for participating judges during the week.
Application | Conduct | Class
Profiles | Housing & Meals
Expenses & Financial Assistance
| JUDGES
PROGRAM COSTS, 2003 |
(one 6-week resident session—2 sessions
required to graduate) |
| Tuition
& Fees: |
$1,550 |
| Housing: |
1,750 |
| Meals: |
400 |
| Books
& Materials: |
275 |
| Instructional
and Program Expenses: |
6,000 |
| Total: |
$9,975 |
In the past, payments
on behalf of individual judges have covered only a fraction of
these expenses. Judges are expected to seek financial support
from state sources to the maximum extent possible. However, participation
in the program is not dependent on judges finding their own funding.
Many states have provided
partial funding for their judges in this program and the Federal
Judicial Center has given partial financial support for federal
judges. Because the Federal Judicial Center makes direct payments,
federal judges need not request reimbursement from that source.
To the extent that expenses
have not been paid on behalf of individual judges, financial assistance
has been available to cover program expenses for each participant
from a variety of grants and gifts. A major grant from the State
Justice Institute will assist in sustaining the program over the
next three years. Judges have also obtained individual scholarships
from the State Justice Institute.
A judge's travel expenses
will not be reimbursed from program funds. Most state judges enrolled
have been reimbursed for travel expenses by their home jurisdictions;
federal judges have been reimbursed from Federal Judicial Center
funds. The University charges a housing supplement for family
members accompanying a judge. This charge is borne by the judge.
Application | Conduct | Class
Profiles | Housing & Meals
Expenses & Financial Assistance