NYU Law - A Conversation with Hon. James Wicks on the Role of a Magistrate Judge

What does a federal magistrate judge do? How does the role differ from that of a U.S. district judge? How do attorneys become magistrate judges? Join NYU ACS for a conversation with U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks of the Eastern District of New York for a conversation about the role magistrate judges play in the federal judiciary, the process by which they are selected, and the matters that they handle. This is highly recommended for 1Ls or 2Ls interested in interning for a judge or doing pro bono work. 

Judge James M. Wicks has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York since 2021. In 2026 he received the New York Bar Foundation’s Force for Justice Award for his work to expand access to legal services in underserved communities.