District Court Judge Selection

The main actors in the federal court system are the men and women who serve as judges and justices. Virtually anyone in America can become a District Court judge. There are no constitutional or statutory qualifications stipulated for serving on the District Court. There are no exams to pass, no minimum age requirement, no stipulation that judges be native-born citizens or legal residents, and no requirement that judges even have a law degree. However it …

…to step down. The only way they can be removed from the bench is by impeachment (indictment by the House of Representatives) and conviction by the Senate. In accordance with legislative standards, impeachment may occur for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." An impeached jurist would face trial in the Senate, which could convict by a vote of two-thirds of the members present. The impeachment of a federal judge is a rare event.