The court system, headed by judges, supervises trials and makes sure everything runs smoothly. Judges preside over courts at the local, state, and national levels. They are responsible for making sure that disputes between individuals, or individuals and their government are resolved according to established laws. Courts also are available to protect individual rights from government excess. Judges start out as lawyers, and they typically practice law for a number of years before being appointed or elected as a judge. This article describes the path to obtaining a judgeship...