Is ‘Judge Judy’s Judy Sheindlin a Real Judge? Her Career & TV Role Explained

Judy Sheindlin is ending her television career with the final episode of Judy Justice on October 22. Before stepping away from the cameras after 30 years, though, Sheindlin is giving her longtime fans a look behind the curtain in the primetime special Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable on September 22.

With a television career that began in the 1990s, Sheindlin has become known for her no-nonsense attitude while solving legal disputes in a televised courtroom. Judge Judy ran for more than 6,000 episodes from 1996 to 2021, and Shiendlin followed it up with Judy Justice, which premiered in 2021.

But what exactly is Sheindlin’s legal background, and is she really a judge? Scroll down for what we know.

Is Judge Judy a real judge?

Yes, Sheindlin actually is a judge. On her television shows, she serves as an arbitrator, which is “a person chosen to decide a dispute or settle differences, especially one formally empowered to examine the facts and decide the issue,” according to Dictionary.com. However, she actually is a retired court justice.

In the 1970s, Sheindlin worked as an assistant prosecutor in a Manhattan family court. She worked on child abuse, domestic violence, and juvenile crime cases. She was appointed as a family court judge by Mayor Ed Koch in 1982, then became the supervising judge in Manhattan’s family court in 1986.

After she was profiled by the L.A. Times in 1993, she was featured on 60 Minutes, which eventually helped launch her Judge Judy career. Following the daytime show’s success, she retired from her position in the family court.

Are the Judge Judy cases real?

Yes, the cases that came to Sheindlin on Judge Judy were legitimate, and she did make actual rulings on them. However, they were not affiliated with any official court system, and her rulings were simply made as she saw fit. As an arbitrator, Sheindlin was not by any official rules of conduct or civil procedure.

The parties that appeared on Judge Judy agreed that Sheindlin’s decision would be binding and that their cases would not be pursued anywhere else. Waivers are signed to this effect, according to an interview with the show’s executive producer.

Did Judge Judy go to law school?

Yes, Sheindlin attended New York Law School and graduated with her juris doctorate in 1965. Her undergraduate degree is from American University. She was the only woman in her class of more than 100 students.

Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable, Tuesday, September 22, 8/7c, CBS