Judicial Laterals

Within this hierarchical structure that transcends judicial systems-what we might call "transsystemic hierarchy"-higher positions in the hierarchy are thought to be more prestigious than are lower positions. [...]the judicial labor market is not nationwide; instead it is largely limited to the state in which the judge currently sits. [...]appellate judges are generally paid more than trial judges, with high court judges generally paid more than intermediate appellate court judges. [...]one might expect that salary is especially important to a judge's decision to make a lateral move.32 In particular, one might think that a judge would be reluctant to accept salary reductions in connection with a concomitant reduction in either the judge's level in the transsystemic judicial hierarchy-i.e., if the judge receives a stepdown-or the judge's judicial system on the intersystemic judicial hierarchy-i.e., if the judge moves from the federal judiciary to a state judicial system.