“I knew that if I worked hard, I could have both - I could have a family, because that was important to me, and I could have a career.”

American retired attorney and television personality

Judith Susan Sheindlin is an American retired attorney, court-show arbitrator, and television personality. Born in 1942, she is best known for Judge Judy, the court show that carried her name and ran for 25 seasons from 1996 to 2021. Sheindlin became the longest-serving television arbitrator in courtroom-themed programming, a record recognized by Guinness World Records in 2015. Her work on television brought her six Daytime Emmy wins from twenty-six nominations, and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2019.