When I first began volunteering as a temporary judge, my mother-in-law asked me how often I got to use the “little hammer.” I correctly concluded that she was referring to a gavel, and probably had in her mind something that was a different size than what I held in a picture that recently appeared on the cover of San Diego Lawyer. When I responded, my mother-in-law was visibly aghast to learn that not only did I not use one at all, but that I also could not recall seeing one in the courtrooms I had appeared in across the state. That conversation perhaps reflects one of the challenges faced by members of our bench: a misperception about what a judge’s role is and should be.
I have heard more than once that judges have it easy since their only job is “to get it right.” Whereas that is certainly one thing that they strive for, it is far from the only. They strive to make their courtrooms a place where lawyers and litigants feel welcome. They have to balance the competing needs to move efficiently through calendars while also having those who appear before the court know that they have been heard. They sometimes have to decode why people are in front of them, something that is not always in the briefs. And they have to make determinations with confidence — often on matters where highly educated lawyers have differing views and opinions. And they need to provide those conclusions knowing it is likely they will disappoint at least one of the people standing before the court.
The importance of such duties cannot be understated. Without public confidence in the bench, the justice system does not function as it should. Fortunately, we have extraordinary talent in our San Diego courtrooms. On Wednesday, the San Diego County Bar Association will host its annual Judicial Reception. I hope that you will join us in thanking these public servants for the fantastic and immensely important work they undertake, even if they do so without a little hammer.
Yours,
David Majchrzak
2022 SDCBA President