“I set realistic goals consistent with my talents. I never, for instance, wanted to sit on an appellate court. I'm not an academic. Truth be told, I hate to do research. I have a practical mind, and I was well suited for the trial court bench, not the appellate.”

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.