Careers in The Rhode Island Judiciary

state courts: Supreme Court; Superior Court; Family Court; District Court; Workers’ Compensation Court; and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal. The Supreme Court Diversity 

Office supports recruitment efforts throughout the six (6) state courts and serves as a liaison between job seekers and the hiring authorities. 

Judicial officers, judges and magistrates, preside over the six (6) courts in Rhode Island. Judges have full judicial authority while magistrates have limited judicial authority by statute. 

Depending upon the court and the type of judicial officer, judicial officers preside over matters which include, but are not limited to, trials, arraignments, motions, appeals, mediation, and other issues involving criminal and civil issues. Judges are appointed for life by the governor, who chooses a candidate from a list provided by the Judicial Nominating Commission. 

The appointment must be approved by both the Senate and the House for Supreme Court judges and the Senate for all other judges. Magistrates are appointed by the Chief Justice, Presiding Justice, or Chief Judge of the court and have a ten (10) year term. The appointment must be approved by the Senate. 

Attorneys in the state of Rhode Island must hold an under-graduate degree and a Juris Doctor from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited school of law. They must also pass the Rhode Island Bar Exam and meet the requirements of the Rhode Island Board of Bar Examiners. With the permission of the Supreme Court, attorneys from other states can appear in the Rhode Island courts on a limited basis. Judicial careers for attorneys include prosecutor, public defender, law clerk, and legal counsel. Attorneys in private practice also routinely appear in the Rhode Island courts.

The Judiciary holds many opportunities for advocacy. Special advocates are hired to assist victims of crime and abuse. Job opportunities for advocates may involve preserving the rights of abused children, referring victims for counseling, and ensuring proper legal representation is available. College degrees in social work, legal training, and community outreach are helpful in this type of work.

In our diverse society many new opportunities are available for bilingual and multilingual individuals. As people of varying cultures turn to the courts seeking justice, the Judiciary needs certified interpreters.

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The Judiciary operates with the assistance of many talented and varied employees who work to ensure that court sessions run efficiently. When court is in session, courtroom personnel generally sit in the courtroom to assist the judicial officers and attorneys. These occupations, which require varying degrees of education, range from court reporters, clerks, electronic court recorders, and investigators.

The Judiciary handles over 227,000 cases each year involving extensive records, financial management, and personnel which may include processing money for fines and filings as well as maintaining such items as housing records, case files, pleadings, transcripts, and exhibits. Occupations for support staff include, but are not limited to, fiscal clerks, record and vault clerks, and supervisory administrators who run the day-to-day operations of each court. Generally, members of the support staff hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

The Judiciary maintains six (6) courthouses and leased property for administrative functions. Constant care, maintenance, and security are needed for the beautiful judicial buildings, some of which are designated as historical, and grounds.

Careers in the Community Outreach/Public Relations Department are uniquely woven between striving to inform the public of court proceedings and designing programs that involve 

the public directly. Knowledge of the court and its varied proceedings and protocols is a must. Good communications skills are needed as well as the ability to create and implement programs that inform the public and the media.

Although the Sheriff’s Department and the Capitol Police are under the direction of the Executive Branch of government (the Governor), they are an integral part of the operation of the Judiciary. The Sheriff’s Department is responsible for prisoner transportation, courtroom security, serving process (i.e. subpoenas, summonses, etc.), and keeping the jury. The Capitol Police are responsible for, among other things, the security around the perimeter of the courthouse as well as the public entrances and exits. Generally, these positions require training in criminal justice and previous law enforcement experience.

The current day Judiciary is a depository of records for criminal and civil cases that occur in our state. Support for the records management of all this information requires computerized Revised June 2020 tracking and storage systems. The Judicial Technology Center has twenty (20) technology professionals specializing in application software, database management, network and web management, technical services management, and training. Technical support specialists in this department require a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems or the equivalent.

Revised June 2020​