for the daily challenges of being Chief
Magistrate. These ladies are amazingly
talented. Those more senior in expe-
rience are generous with their exper-
tise and gracious with their time. I am
thankful to be associated with and have
access to these Chief Magistrates.
Any advice or words of
wisdom for attorneys
who want to become
a judge?
CJ Aten: Really give your practice an
opportunity to stretch you, refine you
and prepare you for your next step.
Developing a few “judge crushes” and
really studying these “good judges” can
give you a useful metric for the devel-
opment of your own profile of judicial
temperance and work ethic.
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CJ Blum: The best Judges are high-
ly skilled lawyers, so my advice is to
continue to work hard at your craft
and develop a reputation for knowing
the law and for being consistently fair,
ethical and courteous; once you build
that reputation, guard it very carefully.
Every lawyer wants these qualities in
a judge; therefore, if your colleagues
notice these qualities in you, it’s easier
to get their support when a judicial op-
portunity presents itself.
CJ Dallas: It's critical to go into this po-
sition with a clear perspective. You are
simply and frankly, a "public servant",
in my opinion. You have to be willing
to give up a large part of yourself in this
calling. Your life no longer belongs to
you, because even off the bench, you are
expected to carry yourself in a manner
above reproach. If you want to become
a judge, try to locate a jurist that is will-
ing to mentor you, and/or allow you to
shadow him/her. It's important that you
have someone who can share what a day
in the life of a judge involves.
CJ Kirk: I have three pieces of advice.
The first is that you should build your
26 June/July 2017
reputation from the beginning of your
legal career. The second is to connect
yourself to the community. The third
may be the most important and that is,
in all this busyness, carve out quality
time for your family and friends.
What do you keep on
your desk; what per-
sonal items have you
brought to the office?
CJ Anderson: Although I have many
items on my desk, I will choose one that
I have kept since I began practicing law:
an old-fashioned, sand-filled hourglass.
Because of its perfected balanced shape,
it is a reminder that I must constantly
seek balance in my life.
CJ Aten: Some personal items on my
desk are artifacts from my global travel,
thank you cards from the community
and litigants, an hourglass, my “see no
evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil”
owl statues and my “Wonder Woman”
coffee cup.
CJ Blum: My favorite desk accessories
are all things dear friends have gifted
me. They are: (1) a coffee mug that says:
“Magistrate Judges Rule” (2) a framed
Dove Chocolates wrapper that says
“solve arguments with a dance-off” (3)
a storage box that says “Wild Ideas” and
(4) a gold name plate that says “What
Would Beyoncé Do?”
CJ Dallas: On my desk are pictures of
my family and cards that they have
given me for various occasions. I love
motivational plaques, which are close
by me always. I also save items that
the various schools I have visited, have
given me. This includes mugs, cups, and
other items representing the particular
school(s).
CJ Kirk: The item that stands out the
most is the bobble head doll of my
criminal law professor Roger Groot.
Professor Groot challenged me as a first