Back in the day, being a woman in a male-dominated field was difficult. Things have changed since then, but it took us a long time to get to where we are now.
Judy Sheindlin, better known as “Judge Judy,” never shied away from pursuing a legal career. In fact, she always knew she wanted to be one, despite the fact that others thought she wasn’t cut out for it. She was the sole woman in her class of 126 students at American University in Washington, DC, when she graduated in 1963.
Judge Judy earned her law degree from New York Law School in New York City, where she grew up.
People, including some of her instructors, couldn’t understand why she wanted to be a lawyer at the time, she remembered. One of her teachers asked, “Why are you taking up the seat of a man who would have to maintain a family?” But she was driven to realize her ambitions, and her parents, particularly her father, had a significant influence on who she became.
“When I got home from college, my father had some concerns about my grades. I started making excuses for why I hadn’t performed as well as I should have. “Darling, don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining,’ he said,” she recalled.
Judge Judy went on to work as a corporate lawyer in the years that followed. She got married and had two children, but she never gave up her job. She subsequently went on to serve as a prosecutor in family court for the next ten years.
Then-New York Mayor Ed Koch took notice of her tenacity and knowledge and appointed her as a criminal court judge. She was promoted to a supervising family court judge a few years later.
She allowed 60 Minutes into her courtroom one day in 1966, and thus began one of the best television shows ever, “Judge Judy.” It had been on the air for more than 25 years. In 2020, the show was canceled.
Judge Judy’s no-nonsense, wisecracking manner won the audience over from the start, and her show soared in popularity with each episode.
“The People’s Court has had a number of judges. The Tonight Show has had a number of hosts over the years. But there was only one Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy,” she explained.
“So, about 20 years ago, I told the company for which I worked, ‘I want to be more of a partner.’ Don’t treat me like a hired hand. I could make this program without you — I made a contract that allowed me to do so — but you won’t be able to make it without me.
“I can take Judy Sheindlin anyplace else,” says the narrator. And, if you can’t find someone else, good luck to you. Otherwise, let us celebrate the gift that this program has given to both of us.’ Judge Judy continued, “I don’t think there’s anything irrational about that.”
Judge Judy won three Emmy Awards for the show, as well as a large sum of money. According to the New York Times, she earned $47 million in 2018 only from her salary. Her overall net worth, according to Forbes, is $445 million.
Many people were disappointed when the much-loved show came to an end. But not as the center of attention. “I wasn’t teary,” Judge Judy stated when asked about the end of that phase of her life. I was pleased that I had accomplished that phase of my journey in a professional manner. It was the conclusion of the day, the end of the workday. The bathroom looks beautiful since I cleaned it.”
She is currently working on additional projects, the first of which will begin on November 1.
Judge Judy married her first husband, Ronald Lev, in 1964, but the relationship was short-lived. During a court case, she met her second husband, Jerry, who is the love of her life. They reconnected at a pub later that day. Jerry told the LA Times about what happened when they ran into each other again.
“A reporter from the New York Post was present at the bar, and I was discussing the matter with him. ‘And who is this?’ Judy exclaimed as she walked in, putting her finger in my face. ‘Lady, get your finger out of my face,’ I said. Since then, we’ve been together.”
They instantly clicked and understood deep down that they were meant to be together. Judy, on the other hand, sued for divorce when her father died. She couldn’t bear the anguish of losing the only man she had ever trusted.
“I was so heartbroken when my father died that being furious with Jerry for not picking up the slack was an easier emotion for me to deal with than coping with the pain of the loss,” she told Closer.
They both intended to move on, but their love for each other was too great to ignore. So they married for the second time and are still together, growing in love with each other every day.
She continued, “I just had to accept the fact that guys of that generation demand to be looked after and catered to.”
“I missed Jerry; I enjoy having someone to fuss over and being mated. She went on to say, “It’s natural for me.”
“I learned the hard way that what you think will make you happy isn’t always the case. I just had to accept the fact that men of that generation demand to be looked after and catered to.”
Despite the fact that she is 78 years old, this wonderful woman has no intention of slowing down.
“I’m not tired at all. She told Hollywood Reporter, “I don’t play golf or tennis, and I have no desire to learn how to play mahjong, chess, or checkers.” “I know what I enjoy doing. Why would I try to find something else at my age when I already know what I like?
“This isn’t a 9-to-5 job, either. I still have time to see the children I adore, the rapidly developing grandchildren, and the cute mate who still makes me laugh.”
We can’t wait to see her again on film.
