Judith Sheindlin, known professionally as Judge Judy, is America’s beloved television court judge. Known for her blunt personality and determined attitude, Judy has become a fan favorite in the TV world with her show “Judge Judy,” which aired from September 1996 until late July 2021. She has become extremely successful for her courtroom reign on television and is even launching a spin-off series to continue to help people with their legal issues by presiding over a plethora of new cases.
Judy grew up in Brooklyn, a borough in New York City, before going on to study government at American University in Washington, D.C. She earned her Juris Doctor degree at New York Law School in 1965, the same year that she passed her bar examination. While the former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge is most known for being Judge Judy, she is also a producer behind the scenes and an author. She has also won a handful of awards and accolades and has continued to be recognized as one of the best courtroom judges.
Along with being a notable figure in the courtroom, Judy has also become that one special person to her long-time partner, who was also a TV judge. At work, Sheindlin had to deal with a fair share of problems in front of her as she presided over several cases, and her marriage has also had a few problems. However, both she and her partner have continued to love and support each other and ultimately have been able to make their marriage last an incredibly long time.
According to Biography, the judge was born Judith Susan Blum on October 21, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. Speaking to the Guardian in 2008, Judith described her father as “the greatest thing since sliced bread” and her mother as “a meat and potatoes kind of gal.” After her father died in 1990, she said her mother kept the family together.
Judy graduated from American University in 1963, and stayed on to continue her studies at American University Washington College of Law. After a year, she continued her studies at New York Law School. By the following year, Judy had earned her law degree, passed the bar exam, and was hired as a corporate lawyer with a cosmetic firm.
Starring as Judge Judy for so long earned Judy plenty of awards and recognition. In 2015, she earned a Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving judge of arbiter in courtroom-themed programming history. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2019 for her work on television. Just because “Judge Judy” is over does not mean that Judy is leaving the industry. In fact, she has a spin-off in the works that is set to premiere on Amazon’s free streaming service, IMDb TV, in late 2021 or early 2022, according to the Wall Street Journal. She has been a major figure since the 90s.
In February 1993, Judy became a national figure when a Los Angeles Times featured her in their newspaper. This led to a segment about her on “60 Minutes,” which became the catalyst for her upcoming TV fame.
She was then approached to run a courtroom program to which she agreed. In 1996, she retired from the bench to star in her courtroom program, “Judge Judy.”
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