AUSTIN – At least one group believes Texas judges need a pay raise this legislative session.
Last week, the State Bar of Texas issued a “proposed 2021 statement of support” concerning “the allocation of sufficient resources to provide for the administration of justice.”
In other words, the bar thinks Texas judges need a raise.
Currently, the base salary for district judges is $140,000 a year. Judges with up to eight years of service receive a salary of $168,000.
The last time the base salary for district judges received a bump was back in 2013, when the amount was increased from $125,000 a year to the current $140,000.
There are 448 district judges in Texas who already make more than most lawyers.
According to U.S. News, the average median salary of a lawyer in 2019 was $122,960.
“We believe the State is best served by recognizing the judicial branch as an independent and co-equal branch of our state government, by maintaining the high quality of the judicial system, and by increasing the current compensation levels in order to attract and retain quality judges and court personnel,” the bar’s statement reads.
“Attracting” and “retaining” judges has become an issue of debate in Texas, as some groups are pushing the legislature for a bill ending judicial elections in favor of appointments or selection.
Last month, the Texas Commission on Judicial Selection released a report recommending against the continuation of partisan elections for judicial offices.
Texas is one of the few states that still holds elections for all of its judicial offices.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform has long advocated for the move to a selection system.