Judy Justice is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court judge Judith Sheindlin. Judy Justice is both a spin-off and continuation of the courtroom series Judge Judy (1996–2021). The show features Sheindlin adjudicating real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated courtroom set. Prior to the proceedings, all involved parties sign arbitration contracts agreeing to abide by Sheindlin's ruling.
Judy Justice premiered on November 1, 2021. The show's first four episodes were released on its premiere date, while typically only one new episode is released each weekday.
The series was released on IMDb TV, later rebranded as Amazon Freevee after the first season. It is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, and is the first standard courtroom series to release new episodes exclusively through a streaming service.
While Judge Judy reruns vastly outperformed Judy Justice in its first season, In addition, Judy Justice received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program following its first season.
On September 9, 2026, Sheindlin announced that she would conclude her television career following the October 22, 2026 finale of Judy Justice (4 seasons, 2021–2026), concluding her 30 years in television as a courtroom jurist. As part of the transition, she announced passing the baton on to her son, Adam Levy, who began his new court show Adam's Law on September 14, 2026.
Cast and crew members Host arbitrating judge Judy Sheindlin
Judy Sheindlin was born on October 21, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, to German-Jewish parents Murray and Ethel Blum. Sheindlin is a former Manhattan Family Court Prosecutor, Supervising Family Court Judge and Judge Judy television series arbitration star of 25 years. She is the arbitrator and sole creator of Judy Justice.
While long noted for her briskness, Sheindlin was observed to pry deeper into the disputes on Judy Justice. Having the litigants expand on digressive details has led to lengthier cases by comparison to Judge Judy. Also in contrast to Judge Judy, Sheindlin presides over Judy Justice without her trademarked lace collar or traditionally black-colored judicial robe. Rather, she presides in a burgundy colored judicial robe.
During season 1 of Judy Justice, Sheindlin appeared without the artificial clip-on hair bun that she donned in the final few seasons of Judge Judy. She transitioned to sporting an upper-head mini-ponytail from her actual hair. In season 2, Judge Sheindlin has resurrected her hair bun.
Supporting cast Sheindlin's supporting cast is made up of three members: a law clerk, a stenographer, and a bailiff. The added positions of a law clerk and stenographer, which is considered a twist for arbitration court shows, seated within the witness stands, were described by show executives as a necessary move to create more life, youth and entertainment at the bench. It has also been described as instrumental in reflecting Sheindlin's pre-celebrity Manhattan family court roots, where there was a law clerk to one side of her and stenographer to the other, likewise seated near the witness stand areas.
Sarah Rose Levy (Sheindlin's young adult granddaughter, 2022 New York Law School alumna, former Judge Judy and Hot Bench production assistant, former Late Show with Stephen Colbert intern) serves as Judy Justice legal analyst. Rose's responsibility to the program is providing research pertinent to the proceedings to aid Sheindlin in determining her rulings. In addition, Rose contributes a Gen Z input into the court show. With Sheindlin coming from the silent generation in direct contrast with the norms Rose is accustomed to, many episodes capture Sheindlin openly opposing or expressing puzzlement with new and existing trends, values and norms associated with Rose's generation. In response, Rose is seen attempting to rationalize and explain to Sheindlin the zoomer school of thought (i.e., translating on behalf of litigants who are members of Gen Z).
In differentiating Rose from herself, Sheindlin has characterized her as "highly organized." In likening Rose to herself, Sheindlin characterized her as "snarky", "opinionated". The final segment of each case sees an exchange between Rose and Sheindlin in the judge's chambers. In these segments, Rose opines on her grandmother's rulings, typically done in one of the following manners: offering legal input or a perspective that Sheindlin hadn't considered during the proceedings; disagreeing entirely with Sheindlin's handling; or, as is most often the case, agreeing with Sheindlin's rulings and nodding her approval. In 2021, it was suggested by the New York Post that Sheindlin is grooming Rose to fill her shoes and carry on the torch in leading the way in courtroom programming. Whitney Kumar (board-certified court reporter in the state of California) serves as Judy Justice stenographer. Outlining her role, Kumar explained that she serves to remind Sheindlin of anything orally communicated throughout the proceedings that ends up in dispute. Scenes often cut to Kumar shown typing transcripts of everything said during the case. Kevin Rasco (former Los Angeles probationary officer, entrepreneur, head of behind-the-scenes security at Judge Judy for its final three years) serves as Sheindlin's smiling and chipper bailiff. Rasco explained his courtroom duties as protecting Sheindlin and keeping order in the court.
Fill-in supporting cast In season 3, episode 35, the show began using a fill-in cast. The cast members were used on a temporary basis.
Alexei Mentzer (law student and Judy's step-grandson) served as a temporary law clerk in multiple episodes in season 3. According to his LinkedIn profile, he serves as a judicial intern for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He is a student at Columbia Law School. Cassandra Britt, served as a bailiff for multiple episodes in season 3. She also serves as a bailiff on Tribunal Justice.
Backstage crew Sheindlin has spoken highly of the backstage crew that helped her produce and direct the Judge Judy program, sharing that most of them have joined her at Amazon. "That will keep my life on a steady keel," explained Sheindlin. According to Judge Judy team members, the vast majority of behind-the-scenes crew from Judge Judy were said to have rejoined Sheindlin for Judy Justice. Included as part of Sheindlin's backstage crew are former Judge Judy executive producers resuming their same roles in the spin-off:
Randy Douthit, former Judge Judy executive producer and director (1996–2021), resuming the same role as executive producer and director of Judy Justice. Amy Freisleben, former Judge Judy production attorney (1998–2013) and Judge Judy co-executive producer (2013–2021), resuming the same role as co-executive producer of Judy Justice.
Series presentation and processes On-air format In a court programming trend initiated by the Judge Judy program, each Judy Justice episode commences with a cold open trailer of the forthcoming case to be featured in that airing. This is followed by the show's title sequence, presenting the cast. Litigants are then shown making entrances to their respective lecterns, one always assigned to plaintiff and the other to defendant. Bailiff Kevin Rasco swears in the litigants and then instructs the audience to come to order and rise for Sheindlin's entrance. After Sheindlin enters, she herself instructs the audience to be seated. Rasco then provides her with case files and the docket number just before the proceedings begin.
According to executive producers Randy Douthit and Amy Freisleben, most cases on the series focus on a single long case as opposed to the Judge Judy program, which typically featured two shorter cases. Cases were said to be more involved on Judy Justice, entering into disputes further in-depth in contrast to the cursory nature of the Judge Judy series. It was said that this is largely made possible because of the streaming broadcast setup of the program, thus absent the restrictive time constraints that exist in first-run syndication (broadcast method used for the Judge Judy program).
Once the case has completed, two segments follow: The first segment features the parties of the proceedings sharing their feedback to the verdict and matters related to the case, done by breaking the fourth wall. This is followed by another segment involving Sheindlin and her granddaughter, Sarah Rose, the two meeting in Sheindlin's judge's chambers to opine on the preceding case. Rose has described this segment as a tool to add her Gen Z perspective and contemporary insight to the program. Explained Rose, “The term LMAO came up on a case the other day, for example, and [Sheindlin] needed me to interpret.”
Monetary award limit In a first for standard court shows, the maximum award limit for Judy Justice is $10,000. Conversely, the maximum award limit for most arbitration-based courtroom programming, including Sheindlin's Judge Judy precursor, has historically been $5,000. While the Judy Justice award limit represents an advancement for the court show genre, the norm for actual small claims court in its authentic form outside of televised entertainment has historically allowed complainants to request anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on jurisdiction.
First-run streaming In March 2020, when Sheindlin initially announced her plans for a new court show, she and her talent agent, Scott Koondel, rejected the option of first-run syndication in favor of first-run streaming. Judy Justice is the first standard arbitration-based reality court show to air first-run episodes through streaming. The nontraditional comedy court miniseries Gary Busey: Pet Judge (which ran for six episodes in 2020) was a streaming broadcast as well. On moving from 25 years in first-run syndication to a streaming service, Sheindlin has stated, "In three to five years all broadcasting will change. Now it's streaming. I'm excited to be in this new venture."
Set design Sheindlin has advertised her newer program as more trendy and chic than the precursor, referencing the use of new media, a new robe, and an all new look. Judy Justice showcases a similar but refreshed, upscale, modern version of the courtroom set design from Judge Judy, with a different wood color, marble columns and monitors that are built into the set. Sheindlin presides from a taller, black-colored executive office chair in Judy Justice, discontinuing the burgundy red colored executive office chair used for most of Judge Judy. In a reversal of those colors, Sheindlin now sports a burgundy robe in Judy Justice, discontinuing use of her traditionally black robe from Judge Judy.
While the United States Flag and New York State Flag were behind Sheindlin in Judge Judy, the New York State Flag is replaced in Judy Justice with another. Whereas the audience stands were filled with individual chairs in Judge Judy, furnished benches fill the stands in Judy Justice.
Broadcast and production details Behind-the-scenes operations Judy Justice is notable in that its debut features Sheindlin's return to an in-person/in-studio setup as far as her judicial dispute handling. Resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Judge Judy ended its final season with Sheindlin presented virtually, only the litigants and Byrd appearing in studio and absent of an audience. While there exists a studio audience in Judy Justice, it is made up of significantly fewer people, a move that allows the audience members to be vastly separated from one another.