I think the "rule" that judges be practicing attorneys is wrong. Should be an elected position and let the electorate on whatever the election level is ( local, state, etc... ) decide if a person is qualified to be a judge. Term limits should also apply. Having a 80 year old on the bench who can barely parambulate to the restroom or carry on a conversation is ludicrous at best when everyone knows the clerks do all the work anyway and the judge signs off on it. Terms would also remedy the ability to "unbench" judges who have lost touch with the pulse of the law as willed by the people.
Going to law school does not make you better at "rendering fair and impartial rulings". It only allows to to write laws so convoluted that you need to hire an attorney to interpret them if you are not one to make sure another attorney and teh courts ( another attorney who by the way plays golf with the other attorneys, so he'll be impartial yeah, right ) doesn't screw you. Damn right or wrong as long as the wherefores and billable hours are covered. Job security/creation at best.
Rant over.
"Going to law school does not make you better at "rendering fair and impartial rulings". It only allows to to write laws so convoluted that you need to hire an attorney to interpret them if you are not one to make sure another attorney and teh courts ( another attorney who by the way plays golf with the other attorneys, so he'll be impartial yeah, right ) doesn't screw you. Damn right or wrong as long as the wherefores and billable hours are covered. Job security/creation at best."
That is probably one of the best descriptions of today's legal system's maladies that I have seen to date. It wasn't always that way. But snake oil salemen took over, and corrupted the system. We were warned the Judiciary could render the Constitution down into bathroom tissue by dint of its 'rulings'. Lo and behold, it has happened.
Going to law school does not make you better at "rendering fair and impartial rulings". It only allows to to write laws so convoluted that you need to hire an attorney to interpret them if you are not one.
It may surprise you to learn that I agree with this point completely.
But don't get too cozy; I disagree with the rest of your post ;-).