Judith Sheindlin
Encyclopedia
Judith Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer
, judge
, television personality
, and author. Since 1996, Sheindlin has presided over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy
, and is well known for her no-nonsense legal style and powerful personality, sharpness, and quick wit.
Sheindlin passed the New York
Bar examination
in 1965, and became a prosecutor in the family court
system. In 1982 Mayor Ed Koch
appointed her a judge, first in criminal court, then later as Manhattan's supervising family court judge in 1986.
Sheindlin attended James Madison High School
in Brooklyn before going on to American University
in Washington, D.C.
, where she majored in government. She then enrolled at the Washington College of Law
at American University where she was the only woman in a class of 126 students. She finished her law school education at New York Law School
, where she graduated in 1965.
in juvenile court
; they moved together to New York and had two children. The couple divorced in 1976 after 12 years of marriage.
In 1977 she married Jerry Sheindlin
, also a judge and also a divorcé
. They divorced in 1990, partially as a result of the stress and struggles that Sheindlin incurred after her father's death that same year. They remarried the following year. The Sheindlins have five children between the two of them as well as several grandchildren.
in 1965, the same year as her graduation, and was hired as a corporate lawyer for a cosmetics firm. Within two years she became dissatisfied with her job and left to raise her two children. She was soon made aware of a position in the New York court system as a prosecutor in the family courts. In her role as a lawyer Sheindlin prosecuted child abuse cases, domestic violence, and juvenile crime.
By 1982 Sheindlin's no-nonsense attitude inspired New York Mayor, Ed Koch
, to appoint her as a judge in criminal court. Four years later she was promoted to supervising judge in the Manhattan division of the family court. She earned a reputation as a tough judge, notorious for fast decision-making and wise-cracking judgments.
In February 1993 Sheindlin's outspoken reputation made her the subject of a Los Angeles Times
article, profiling her as a woman determined to make the court system work for the common good. She subsequently was featured in a segment on CBS's 60 Minutes
, bringing her national recognition. This led to her first book, Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining, published in 1996. She retired as a criminal court judge that same year after hearing over 20,000 cases. After her retirement, Sheindlin continued to receive increasing amounts of public attention.
Not long after her retirement in 1996, Sheindlin was approached about a possibly starring in a new courtroom television program, featuring real cases with real rulings. She accepted the offer.
Sheindlin's syndicated
courtroom series Judge Judy
debuted on September 16, 1996. The show met with instant success and made Sheindlin a celebrity, becoming well known for her strict, no-nonsense attitude and wit. The program has been the number one court show since its debut, the only original show on television to increase its ratings yearly, and has integrated itself into American pop culture.
The show's ratings have been very high, averaging approximately 10 million viewers daily. It is especially popular among female viewers between the ages of 25 and 54. Author Brendan I. Koerner commented in regard to the popularity of Judge Judy:
Sheindlin resides in Connecticut
and New York
, and travels to Florida
in the winter. She commutes to Los Angeles every other week for two to four days to tape episodes of Judge Judy. Sheindlin extended her contract through 2012–13 (its 17th season) due to high ratings as well as her belief that people are still engaged in the program. Sheindlin admits the show is "seductive" and hard to give up. Said Sheindlin, "I'm not tired. I still feel engaged by what I do and I still have people who like to watch it."
In 2005 Sheindlin's salary was US$25 million per year. Her net worth
at the beginning of 2007 was $95 million and she ranked number 13 on the Forbes magazine top 20 richest women in entertainment. In February 2006, Sheindlin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. As a result of her stardom, she served as a judge for the 1999 Miss America
Pageant. References to Sheindlin as Judge Judy have appeared on TV shows including Will & Grace
, NBC's The Weakest Link
, The Practice
and the Academy Awards
, as well as the book "America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction" by Jon Stewart.; she has also appeared in numerous cable news interviews. In December 2009 Sheindlin told the story of her life and career in Family Court, as well as "Judge Judy" and her published works in a two-hour interview for the Archive of American Television. In July 2010 Sheindlin's contract was renewed, so she now will receive $45 million per year to tape her show, which is currently the top rated daytime show in the US.
On March 30, 2011, Sheindlin was admitted to the hospital after she fainted on the set of her show. She was released the next day, and it is not known what caused her to faint.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, television personality
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, and author. Since 1996, Sheindlin has presided over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
, and is well known for her no-nonsense legal style and powerful personality, sharpness, and quick wit.
Sheindlin passed the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
in 1965, and became a prosecutor in the family court
Family court
A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a...
system. In 1982 Mayor Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
appointed her a judge, first in criminal court, then later as Manhattan's supervising family court judge in 1986.
Early life and education
Sheindlin was born Judith Susan Blum in October 1942 to German-Jewish parents, Murray, a dentist, and Ethel Blum. She described her father as "the greatest thing since sliced bread", and her mother as "a meat-and-potatoes kind of gal."Sheindlin attended James Madison High School
James Madison High School (New York)
James Madison High School is a public high school located at 3787 Bedford Avenue, in the Madison section of Brooklyn, New York, and educates grades 9 through 12. It is part of Region 6 in the New York City Department of Education...
in Brooklyn before going on to American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where she majored in government. She then enrolled at the Washington College of Law
Washington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
at American University where she was the only woman in a class of 126 students. She finished her law school education at New York Law School
New York Law School
New York Law School is a private law school in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. New York Law School is one of the oldest independent law schools in the United States. The school is located within four blocks of all major courts in Manhattan. In 2011, New York Law School...
, where she graduated in 1965.
Marriages and family
In 1964 Sheindlin married Ronald Levy, who later became a prosecutorProsecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
in juvenile court
Juvenile court
A juvenile court is a tribunal having special authority to try and pass judgments for crimes committed by children or adolescents who have not attained the age of majority...
; they moved together to New York and had two children. The couple divorced in 1976 after 12 years of marriage.
In 1977 she married Jerry Sheindlin
Jerry Sheindlin
Gerald "Jerry" Sheindlin is an American author and television personality, he was also a judge on the television show The People's Court from 1999 to 2001...
, also a judge and also a divorcé
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. They divorced in 1990, partially as a result of the stress and struggles that Sheindlin incurred after her father's death that same year. They remarried the following year. The Sheindlins have five children between the two of them as well as several grandchildren.
Legal career
Sheindlin passed the New York Bar ExamBar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
in 1965, the same year as her graduation, and was hired as a corporate lawyer for a cosmetics firm. Within two years she became dissatisfied with her job and left to raise her two children. She was soon made aware of a position in the New York court system as a prosecutor in the family courts. In her role as a lawyer Sheindlin prosecuted child abuse cases, domestic violence, and juvenile crime.
By 1982 Sheindlin's no-nonsense attitude inspired New York Mayor, Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
, to appoint her as a judge in criminal court. Four years later she was promoted to supervising judge in the Manhattan division of the family court. She earned a reputation as a tough judge, notorious for fast decision-making and wise-cracking judgments.
In February 1993 Sheindlin's outspoken reputation made her the subject of a Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article, profiling her as a woman determined to make the court system work for the common good. She subsequently was featured in a segment on CBS's 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, bringing her national recognition. This led to her first book, Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining, published in 1996. She retired as a criminal court judge that same year after hearing over 20,000 cases. After her retirement, Sheindlin continued to receive increasing amounts of public attention.
Judge Judy
Sheindlin's syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
courtroom series Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
debuted on September 16, 1996. The show met with instant success and made Sheindlin a celebrity, becoming well known for her strict, no-nonsense attitude and wit. The program has been the number one court show since its debut, the only original show on television to increase its ratings yearly, and has integrated itself into American pop culture.
The show's ratings have been very high, averaging approximately 10 million viewers daily. It is especially popular among female viewers between the ages of 25 and 54. Author Brendan I. Koerner commented in regard to the popularity of Judge Judy:
Sheindlin resides in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and travels to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the winter. She commutes to Los Angeles every other week for two to four days to tape episodes of Judge Judy. Sheindlin extended her contract through 2012–13 (its 17th season) due to high ratings as well as her belief that people are still engaged in the program. Sheindlin admits the show is "seductive" and hard to give up. Said Sheindlin, "I'm not tired. I still feel engaged by what I do and I still have people who like to watch it."
In 2005 Sheindlin's salary was US$25 million per year. Her net worth
Net worth
In business, net worth is the total assets minus total outside liabilities of an individual or a company. For a company, this is called shareholders' preference and may be referred to as book value. Net worth is stated as at a particular year in time...
at the beginning of 2007 was $95 million and she ranked number 13 on the Forbes magazine top 20 richest women in entertainment. In February 2006, Sheindlin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. As a result of her stardom, she served as a judge for the 1999 Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
Pageant. References to Sheindlin as Judge Judy have appeared on TV shows including Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, NBC's The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
, The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
and the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, as well as the book "America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction" by Jon Stewart.; she has also appeared in numerous cable news interviews. In December 2009 Sheindlin told the story of her life and career in Family Court, as well as "Judge Judy" and her published works in a two-hour interview for the Archive of American Television. In July 2010 Sheindlin's contract was renewed, so she now will receive $45 million per year to tape her show, which is currently the top rated daytime show in the US.
On March 30, 2011, Sheindlin was admitted to the hospital after she fainted on the set of her show. She was released the next day, and it is not known what caused her to faint.
External links
- Judge Judith Sheindlin at the Notable Names Database
- Judge Judy marks 10 years laying down the law, CTV NewsCTV NewsCTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name CTV News is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations , which are closely tied to the national news division...
, February 15, 2006 - Biographical article from The Guardian, October 9, 2008