Roberts Wants Raises for Federal Judges

Chief Justice Roberts's year-end report on the federal courts to the issue of judicial salaries, which he says has "reached the level of a constitutional crisis." Chief justice calls for higher pay for judges, Seattle Times (reprinting Wash. Post story), Jan. 1, 2007.

Federal judges make from $165,200 (district court) to $212,100 (Chief Justice). That's a lot compared to any number of workers, but federal judges have slipped compared with, say law school deans -- and even first year associates at big firms. (Supreme Court clerks often get signing bonuses as big as their justices' salaries.)

The Chief Justice's report is here.

See SCOTUSBlog's post about the report -- and a comment from someone who says that terming the pay issue a "consitutional crisis" only demeans the problem and takes issues with many of Chief Justice Roberts's contentions. (The commenter is Dennis Bedard, whom Findlaw identifies as a Miami lawyer.)