It seems like an arcane process to me TBH.
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It depends on the jurisdiction. In some places, judges are directly elected by the voters. In others, they are appointed by someone in the government (mayor, governor, etc.) or by the current group of judges. Some places have a hybrid system where judges are initially appointed but must occasionally stand for a “retention election” so that voters can theoretically kick out judges they don’t like.
In practice, people rarely become judges by applying to a job posting or running a (public) campaign. Judges are selected from the attorneys who work in the same courthouse. There’s no formal career path. You just impress the people who make the decision and signal your desire to also be a judge.
In most cases you have to become a licensed attorney. That requires law school and passing the bar exam. In theory as soon as you are licensed you could become a judge if you are elected. In reality you need several years of experience learning the law and making friends at the court house. Then you have to make political connections with the local political party for financial support. Voter turnout is often low for judicial elections so you need the local attorneys, judges and court house employees on your side. You will have some other small hoops to jump through like residency requirements.
Having said all that local laws can vary so it very likely could be different from county to county.
Federal judges are appointed, again you have to do all the lawyering and political connections stuff but you need much more influential friends.
same way you get any high level position. Go to college, get a degree (law for a judge), pass any certification exams needed (bar) then get an entry level position in a relevant field (lawyer). after years of hard work, then apply for the position you really do want (or in this case, run for/be appointed to it).
It depends on the jurisdiction and what kind of court it is (i.e., federal vs state, superior court vs limited jurisdiction court…etc). In some jurisdictions, these trial level judges are appointed, typically by the mayor of the city/town or whatever the local equivalent is. In other places, they’re elected just like any other elected office. Federal district court judges are appointed by the President but the Senate has to approve.
In all jurisdictions that I’m aware of, you have to be a licensed attorney to become a judge. In practice, many judges are former judicial clerks (basically a lawyer who is an assistant to a judge) or prominent local lawyers. A lot of criminal court judges are former prosecutors/
As others have said, it varies depending on the jurisdiction, but there are a few general approaches. At the federal level, most judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Other than that there are no constitutional eligibility requirements, but as a practical matter no one who isn’t a licensed attorney would get nominated or confirmed. There is also a sub-category of judges with more limited powers who are appointed by the judges appointed by the president. States can do it differently, but usually it’s some combination of appointment, election, or both.
What’s more interesting is the behind-the-scenes process for how people get nominated. These days, no one becomes a trial judge without applying for it, like any other job. At the federal level, you usually apply to your home-state senator who then makes a recommendation to the White House. Then DOJ and the White House vet the candidate and ultimately submit a name to the Senate, which holds a hearing. At the state level, again, it can vary. Some states have non-partisan commissions that interview applicants and submit names to the governor.
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