essay on a judge

So, You Think You Can Be a Judge Essay

Introduction, scenario one, scenario two.

Being a judge is never an easy task. You have to make sure that you don’t take sides during the hearing of the case. You also have to make sure you listen keenly to the case as presented before you. You should give both sides equal opportunities to argue out their case and bring aboard any witness that may be relevant.

Every person according to the constitution is entitled to a fair hearing in a court of law. The most important thing is to make sure you give fair judgement according to the law. It is important to always observe the rule of law and uphold the constitution at all times.

In this scenario we find that a supervisor by the name of Justin Ames has been making sexual advances towards an employee by the name Anita Mills. However, instead of seeking legal advice or reporting James Ames to the relevant authorities, Anita Mills decides to consult a supervisor by the name Anna Flores. Anna Flores advices Anita Mills not to report the incident and is able to convince her that it will all go away with time.

However, things get worse when Anita mills goes to be reviewed. She is accompanied by Anna Flores who acts as an observer during the review process. However, this does not make matters better as Justin Ames goes ahead and gives Anita Mills a negative rating. This annoys Anita Mills and she decides to take legal action.

If I were a judge in a court of law, I would carefully look into the case with the seriousness it deserves. Sexual harassment is banned in the workplace by the laws of the country (Mello 2006). In this case it is evident James Ames is victimizing Anita Mills because she refused to give into his advances.

He also does this partly because Anita Mills did not take any action when he first made his advances. It is evident that Anita Mills has been under stress. She even takes a day off to go see a therapist. In this case the company would not win. There is substantial evidence that shows that James has been sexually harassing Anita Mills and further victimizing her by not giving her a fair review.

In this case, manager Pete Bartel is dismissed by human resource manager Frank Framer on grounds that he his performance has been wanting. Pete Bartel has not met his targets for some time. He attributes this to the ever rising cost of raw materials. Pete Bartel argues out that he should have been given a warning according to the company’s policy before being dismissed.

However, Frank argues that the company had put him on probation the first time he had failed to meet his targets. Contracts are legally binding documents between an employer and employee. It is evident that Pete Bartel has not been performing as required. But before the company can dismiss him, they have to follow due process. In this case, Pete Bartel should have been given several warnings before being dismissed.

This is clearly stated in the manager’s workbook one the policies of the company. The company has breached the law and its own policies in this case. Pete Bartel would, therefore, win this case and be reinstated as the manager. The company should have followed due process before dismissing Pete Bartel.

Mello, J. A. (2006). Strategic human resource management . Mason, OH: South- Western Cengage Learning.

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The Qualities of a Good Judge

What are the qualities that should be identified and then sought after in an applicant for judicial office?  The diverse and balanced Special MSBA Committee which researched and deliberated on this question for two years concluded that the judicial recruitment and selection process should maximize the diversity of each Bench not only as to race, gender and ethnicity, but also as to professional background experience and abilities. Under that umbrella, it then concluded that the following qualities should be sought after in  all  judicial applicants.

1.    Judicial Temperament :  This character trait encompasses both the ability to apply the law to the facts and to understand how a judicial decision will affect the human beings appearing before the court.  It is the ability to communicate with counsel, jurors, witnesses and parties calmly and courteously, as well as the willingness to listen to and consider what is said on all sides of a debatable proposition.

A candidate should exhibit the following aspects of proper judicial temperament: Patience, open-mindedness, courtesy, tact, courage, punctuality, firmness, understanding, compassion, humility and common sense.  Those qualities should be demonstrated consistently.  For applicants who already hold a judgeship, these qualities should have consistently manifested themselves to all the court’s “stakeholders” interacting with the judge regardless of station in life, profession, type of case, representation by counsel or lack thereof.

A judicial candidate should be able to exercise forbearance under provocation, to deal with others with sensitivity and without giving offense, and to assimilate data outside the candidate’s experience without bias and without undue difficulty or stress.  A candidate should be able to handle personal stress without unloading on others; he or she should recognize that the position is not only stressful but an official governmental position of public trust, with its business conducted largely in full view; and that criticism and scrutiny are inherent in the position.  Candidates fearful of or uncertain about these aspects of the job should be counseled to reconsider.

2.    Intelligence :  This is the ability to know and apply legal rules, analyses and procedures to different facts and circumstances, and the ability quickly to perceive, comprehend, and understand new concepts and ideas.

3.    Ethics :  There should be no doubt about an applicant’s personal or professional ethics.

As a lawyer, a candidate should have maintained a standard of conduct above the minimum standard set forth in the disciplinary rules and should not have been disciplined by the Attorney Grievance Commission.  A candidate should be aware of and abide by the ethical principles enunciated in the Code as guidance in specific situations.

A candidate should have taken part in continuing Bar activities in the areas of Legal Ethics and Professionalism.

A candidate should have demonstrated a personal standard of ethical conduct that stands out among both the general citizenry and the applicant’s fellow practitioners.

4.    Courage and Integrity :  Legal “Courage” is “the willingness to do what the law requires the judge to do even though the course the judge must follow is not the popular one”.  “Integrity” is not being influenced by the identity, race, gender, political status, wealth or relationship of the party or lawyer before the judge.  More basically it is not doing what the judge knows to be wrong.  A judicial applicant should possess both courage and integrity.

5.    Experience and Education :  Prior professional activities, legal education, teaching, bar activities, and publications are very important.  The type and amount of experience necessary varies depending on the judicial position sought.

A candidate should generally have been an active member of the Bar for at least five years.

A candidate for the trial bench should have engaged in an active courtroom practice and should almost always have had some litigation experience.  Extensive experience in representing clients before administrative tribunals may qualify as litigation experience.  However, non-litigation experience (e.g., teaching, government or corporate counsel background), combined with high ratings on other criteria, particularly intelligence and judicial temperament should not be ignored.

The assessment of specific qualities may properly be weighted where specific attributes are needed.  For example, when a particular Circuit Court might need a judge for its Family Division; a family law background or prior experience as a Master would be especially useful.  Alternatively, a particular jurisdiction might need a judge to assist in the trial of an influx of mass tort, products liability or malpractice cases.  In such an instance, a background as a litigator would increase an applicant’s value.

Education and experience might be defined differently for appellate positions.  For this reason, extra careful attention should be paid when trial court judges apply for appointment to an appellate court. The qualities which have led to success as a trial court judge may not predict equal success at the appellate level.  Appellate judicial candidates generally should have credentials as appellate lawyers, both in brief writing and oral argument.

6.    Suitability to Workload :  A candidate should demonstrate his or her compatibility with the workload of the court.  Those who dislike writing opinions should not be recommended for appellate positions.  Those who dislike traffic cases or domestic cases would similarly be poor choices for the district and circuit courts, respectively.

7.    Continuing Legal Education :  A judicial candidate’s history of attendance at continuing legal education programs should be considered as a good indicator or a person’s interest in remaining current in the law.  This factor is perhaps the best indicator of whether a judge will be motivated to improve his or her knowledge, willing to continue with his or her “legal education” and be open to new ideas, evolving attitudes, legal developments, and change in general.

8.    Ability to Communicate :  This is the ability to express oneself clearly, concisely, and grammatically, whether orally or in writing.   It includes the ability to listen.

All judicial candidates must have strong oral and written skills.  Candidates for appellate position require superior writing skills. A candidate for the trial bench must be able to express him or herself well both orally and in writing.

Chief Judge Robert M. Bell has emphasized the need for judges to communicate not just in the courtroom but also in the communities in which they serve and to the other branches of government.  While not every judge must be a skilled and articulate public speaker, at least some should be.

9.    Civic and Professional Responsibility :  This is contribution to the public and the legal profession through organized Bar and non-Bar service organizations, volunteer activities, civic and cultural organizations.

A candidate should receive favorable consideration for his or her pro bono, public service and or professional activities.

10.    Health :  A candidate should be in sufficient physical and mental health to perform the duties of the office, such that he or she will be able to render vigorous and effective service for the foreseeable future.  A prior history of stress-induced illnesses, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, or poor attendance in the present job should be warning flags and a candidate having such a background should normally not be nominated, as the ability to tolerate conflict, pressure, and stress are essential.  The Attorney General’s Office should be requested to advise the Nominating Commission on how to harmonize these goals with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

11.    Character :  This most important overall quality is a key intangible.  The applicant should be of the best character.  He or she should have a positive reputation in every professional and residential community.  His or her background should be free of references to immorality or indiscretions.  He or she should be free of a history of substance abuse or substance dependence, and free of indications domestic violence, publicly unacceptable conduct and the like.  Candidates should be financially stable.

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What ‘Justice’ Really Means

The word has taken a beating in the past few weeks. But what role does it truly play in our lives?

By Paul Bloomfield

Mr. Bloomfield is a professor of philosophy at the University of Connecticut.

It’s a staple of common sense that we don’t let judges try their own cases. Yet if we are to gain self-knowledge, we all must do just that: We must judge ourselves to know ourselves. While we typically think of justice as a virtue of social arrangements or political institutions, the United States has recently bore witness to this virtue in its first-person aspect — self-regarding justice — while watching the confirmation hearings of a Supreme Court Justice.

The virtue of justice requires not only that we judge others fairly, but also that we judge ourselves fairly. This is no mean feat. The trouble is that if a person is a poor judge of him or herself, it is hard to imagine that person being a good judge of others. Bias toward the self often leads to bias against others. Justice begins within ourselves.

While justice is important for each of us in our personal lives, it becomes strikingly important when we think of those in positions of power. We need leaders motivated by a love of justice and not merely self-aggrandizement. Leadership without an inner moral compass reliably pointing toward justice inevitably ends in the abuse of power.

Philosophically, all virtues are ideals that we can only approach without fully attaining them. So, we can always aspire to do better. Given this, what role does the virtue of justice play in our personal lives? What role ought it to play?

In fact there are two roles: Justice functions both in our epistemology, or how we form and justify our beliefs, as well as in practical morality, informing our private and public behavior. These ought to be entwined in our lives since we ought not only think in a fair and just manner but also act accordingly.

The apotheosis of justice is the courtroom judge, interpreting the law and ruling on evidence concerning innocence and guilt. Model judges are epistemically just: Their cognitive processes are never biased or unduly swayed, their conclusions are not prejudged, and their verdicts reliably correspond to the facts. Truth is their goal. Not only must there be no thumb on the scale, the evidence must be balanced while wearing a blindfold. The rulings of judges, however, are also undeniably moral, bearing as they do on issues of justice, restitution and the execution of punishment.

Just people are wise in the ways of fairness, equality, desert and mercy. They are normally pacific. Just people mind their own business, except when they see and call out injustice, speaking truth to power, which they’ll do even at a personal cost. Justice questions authority.

Just people also question themselves. This makes them honest and non-self-deceptive. They vigilantly maintain a clear conscience. Just people are cognizant of their own mistakes and faults, and so they are forgiving of others. They respect who they actually are and not whom they merely wish they were, and their authentic self-respect makes them respectful of others. People who are just do as they say and say as they do: their word is their bond. They are capable of great loyalty and fidelity, but not without limit.

The central epistemic principles of justice require like cases to be treated alike, as captured legally by the concepts of the rule of law and precedent . Weak and strong, rich and poor, all are equal before the law (where this must include the Supreme Court justices and presidents of the United States). While applying general principles alone is sufficient for clear, ordinary cases, a fine sensitivity, experience and reflection is necessary for reliably judging unusual or exceptional cases. Well-developed justice requires expertise in making hard “judgment calls.”

The central moral principles of justice require us to give proper respect to one another : Each of us must recognize the other as a person and not merely as an object. Each of us may testify. The least common denominator among us is that we are all human beings. In addition to that, we each have particular features making us all unique. Justice pays proper attention to what we have in common and to what sets us apart.

In discussing justice as a personal virtue, Aristotle said that being just, “ is a mean between committing injustice and suffering it, since the one is having more than one’s share, while the other is having less .” As recklessness and cowardice are opposing vices of courage, arrogance and servility are opposing vices of justice.

From sidewalk sexual harassment to the obstruction of justice, all abuses of power involve an unjust willingness to greedily arrogate more than one’s due. Typically, those who abuse their strength or cheat, and then don’t get caught or punished, self-deceptively think they’ve “beaten the system” and “won.” But fooling others into thinking you have earned a victory is not the same as genuinely being victorious. Cheaters fool themselves when they elide this difference.

The other way to fail justice is by judging ourselves to be less worthy than we truly are. This is sadly common among oppressed people, but it also arises among the affluent and powerful under the guise of the “impostor syndrome.” Humility has its place, but we shouldn’t overdo it, nor let it interfere with the intellectual courage required to call out injustice. Those who unfairly put themselves down or are servile, for whatever reason, are doing themselves an injustice by willfully accepting less than their fair share.

Given all this, the virtue of justice plays an important role in families and friendships, between neighbors and citizens, colleagues and clients, acquaintances and strangers. But it is also central to being a good person and living happily, and not merely deceiving oneself into believing that one is a good person and that one is happy.

Bringing justice fully into our lives, thinking in terms of it, will make us more circumspect. We are all too fallible. But it is often the case that we are much better at spotting the faults of others than we are at spotting faults in ourselves. Our blind spots are conveniently located to keep us from seeing our own weaknesses. What a coincidence!

Life is neither just nor fair: Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. This, however, only increases our obligation to be as just and fair as we can be, to be honest with ourselves as well as others, to try to correct injustice when we see it, and to do as much right in this unfair world as we can.

Paul Bloomfield is a professor of philosophy at the University of Connecticut and the author of “ The Virtues of Happiness .”

Now in print : “ Modern Ethics in 77 Arguments ,” and “ The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments ,” with essays from the series, edited by Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley, published by Liveright Books.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter .

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Essay Samples on Judge

Role of judges in common law and civil law systems.

Introduction The role of judges as deciders of disputes according to law is well known and relatively well understood. What is not clear is the role that judges have as law maker. If the outcome of a case is not dictated by binding precedent, then...

Judge Dee: The Ideal Yet Controversial Judge Figure

His Excellency, Judge Dee Goong An by modern standards is an unethical and immoral judicial figure. Judge Dee works as the district magistrate, detective, prosecutor, judge, and jury, a formidable task for any one man. His powers are vast, and some of the things he...

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The Retirement Laws and Reforms for Judges

In this essay I will be discussing whether or not the retirement age for judges should be raised to 75. A judge is an individual who is in charge of applying the laws that are made by Parliament, to each case that comes to court....

The Objectivity of Judge's Discretion and Decisions

Judicial precedent is where past judgements make law for judges to refer to as a tool for future legal matters. Controversial issues arise surrounding this principle because it can form disagreeable decisions and outcomes in matter of principle especially in attempts of law reform. Will...

The Assyrian Artistic Period In The Great Metropolitan Museum Of Art

The court was not open yet when I arrived. Milling around the doors, two separate groups of people waited. All were smartly dressed; the most informal was business casual, while the lawyers wore business formal attire. There were no blue jeans in sight. Ten minutes...

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The Reasons Why The Brett Kavanaugh Case Matters

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2. Judge Dee: The Ideal Yet Controversial Judge Figure

3. The Retirement Laws and Reforms for Judges

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Essays on Judge

2023-2024 Cambridge Judge MBA Essay Tips and Example Essays

Aug 9, 2023

• Who is Cambridge looking for?
• How should I answer the Cambridge essay questions?
• Get Admitted to Cambridge Judge
• Cambridge Deadlines

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on August 24, 2020. It has been updated with new information and tips below.

With its location in the Silicon Fen, Cambridge Judge is at the top of the list for an increasing number of applicants who seek to pursue (or continue pursuing) a high-impact, global career. 

However, with a practical yet innovative curriculum that gives students ample opportunity to incorporate hands-on learning into their MBA experience, competition to join Cambridge’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Cambridge admissions essays to stand out. We’ve rounded up our best tips and links to Cambridge Judge MBA sample essays to ensure you give your Cambridge Judge application your best shot. 

1. Who is Cambridge looking for?

(Photo courtesy of @cambridgejudge on Instagram)

“The MBA is a broad management degree designed to develop deep understanding, practical application and vital interpersonal and leadership skills. Inspired by the University of Cambridge tradition of tutorial discussion and debate, the MBA delivers a lively and engaging learning experience in an intensive one-year programme.” Cambridge Judge Admissions

Every year, Cambridge literally searches the globe (more than 40 countries are represented) for the outstanding professionals given the honor of joining its annual class of just over 200 students for its 1-year MBA program. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” Cambridge student, yet the average admitted student does tend to have a mean GMAT score of 690.

Beyond the impressive statistics, though, Cambridge is looking for candidates who want to make a positive impact on the world through their careers. That’s why, in addition to strong academic performance (demonstrated through the GMAT and university grades), Cambridge seeks candidates who possess the following qualities:

We want people who have:

• excelled in previous academic achievements (top 25 percent of class in undergraduate degree)
• are highly motivated and ambitious, thrive under pressure, and have already exhibited clear progression within their career
• have had some international experiences through their work and have a global outlook
• are confident, creative, innovative, with strong interpersonal and collaborative skills
• an interesting and varied life outside their work

If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully answering Cambridge’s admissions essay questions. 

2. How should I answer the Cambridge essay questions?

2.1. Essay 1 Tips

Essay 1: Please provide details of your post-MBA career plans. The statement should not exceed 500 words and must address the following:

• What are your short- and long-term career objectives? How will the Cambridge MBA equip you to achieve these?
• Looking at your short-term career goal, describe the research you have done to understand how this industry/role/location recruits MBA talent and what they are looking for in a candidate.
• How confident do you feel about meeting your short-term career goal? What skills/characteristics do you already have that will help you to achieve them, and what preparation are you doing now?

This question is essentially a traditional goals essay, a common type of essay required of applicants at many elite business schools, with a unique twist. 

In this essay, you have a big task. In around 500 words , you need to discuss:

• Context for your goals
• Your specific-post MBA goals
• Why you have chosen these goals and how you are prepared for them
• Why you believe an MBA is necessary to reach these goals
• How a Cambridge MBA will help you reach these goals
• What actions you will take between now and starting at Cambridge to help you reach your goals

Each of these elements must be included and must build off of each other. 

First of all, many candidates think they do not need to specifically state their goals, or that it’s better to leave “their options open.” If you are applying to elite business schools, however, you must have and present absolute clarity about your goals. 

TOP TIP : If you’re having trouble figuring out what your post-MBA goals are, we’ve prepared this post to help you decipher this essential part of the application process! 

However, goals without context can be a little confusing to decipher or understand (or they can just seem a bit lackluster). For this reason, we suggest starting your essay with context. 

For example, a client last year initially started his essay by saying: 

“I want to become a Business Development Director at a Brazilian company.”

While interesting, it’s better to give a little bit of context to help these goals come to life. Check out the final version of the same essay’s introduction:

“In the 1970s, the phrase “think global, act local” came into use, suggesting that to have global impact, one must be active locally. With this mindset, I focused my career on Brazilian multinational companies to start creating global change at home. While at Company 1, I led a diverse global team, which showed me that clear communication is essential. I later accepted a finance position at a real estate company where I learned how new technologies can impact traditional local industries and that leaders must adapt to these trends to maintain competitiveness. Most recently, I joined Company 2 to participate in its daring globalization plan. At Company 2, I have learned how challenging it is to formulate effective global strategies to thrive in diverse markets. I have also developed management skills since becoming Financial Coordinator, learning how important establishing a culture of collaboration is to providing stability for organizations.

I now seek to take the next step to becoming a “global” leader by becoming Business Development Director at a Brazilian company pursuing globalization, giving me the experience to assume my long-term goal of CEO of one such company.”

Second, discuss how you are prepared for these goals, and if you haven’t already, why you are motivated to achieve them. Since Cambridge specifically asks you to state which skills and characteristics you already possess that are relevant to achieving your goals, make sure not just to speak in generalities here. Instead, use clear examples that demonstrate you have a strong track record that will directly contribute to your success in achieving your career goals. 

In this section, you should also discuss the research that you have already done on the industry and how recruiters are selecting people. This is important because Cambridge wants to see that you have clearly prepared for your goals and that you will use their MBA wisely and give them a good reputation. Be sure to mention how you found the information that you have. This section can serve as a great transition between what experience you already have and what you still need to gain in terms of skills and knowledge.

Third, you should clearly demonstrate why you need an MBA. 

An MBA is not a catch-all degree that serves a purpose for all career paths. As such, you need to demonstrate that the goals you have set for yourself require the additional training an MBA can provide. 

Be thoughtful about this particular section. If you don’t need to improve in any meaningful way, you might be presenting the argument the admissions committee needs for why you can’t actually benefit from an MBA. 

Furthermore, if you show fluffy or unsupported reasons you need to hone your skills, you’ll also likely see your application tossed aside in favor of an applicant who was able to clearly demonstrate how they plan to leverage their time at business school. 

Fourth, add how Cambridge can specifically help you grow in the areas you’ve identified. Mentioning that you want to go to Cambridge because of its ranking or 1-year format will not cut it here. 

Instead, show that you understand Cambridge’s uniquely innovative curriculum and have done significant, thoughtful research into how the opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom can help you grow. If you have space, it’s also highly recommended that you mention how you can contribute to the community. 

Finally, make sure that you fully answer Cambridge’s unique twist on this question by demonstrating what you are doing or plan to do before your MBA to prepare yourself to reach your stated goals. 

For example, Renato, after clearly articulating how he plans to benefit from Cambridge’s curriculum, states: “To expand my strategic vision and network, I plan to be active in the Technology SIG, create bonds with leaders within the Silicon Fen, and maintain close lifelong relationships with Judge’s faculty and students. I have already met many such alumni, such as ALUM1 and ALUM2, in my quest to integrate myself with the Judge community. Innovation can only flourish in a collaborative setting, and the Judge environment will enable me to connect knowledge and people.”

Though there are many ways in which you can prepare to reach your goals before your MBA, make sure to include clear, concrete examples of your plans in this area in your essay. 

End with a winning conclusion statement that reinforces your personal brand and ties the whole essay together. 

Need more guidance? 

Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of Cambridge MBA essays that worked to get our clients admitted to help you plan out a winning Cambridge Judge essay. 

Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, detailed essay brainstorms, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join ! 

2.2. Essay 2 Tips

Essay 2: Tell us about a time when you made a professional mistake. How could it have ended differently? (up to 200 words)

With a general theme of self-awareness running throughout the application, the Cambridge Judge admissions committee’s first non-goals-related essay asks you to recount a mistake you made and reflect on what you could have done to obtain a better outcome. 

In general, I have noticed that our clients tend to want to avoid anything that makes them look bad. And this is a good instinct in general in an MBA application! However, by seeing you honestly express the mistake you made, how you overcame it, and what you would have done differently/what you learned from the experience, we’re able to see your capacity for self-awareness and growth in action. 

As always when it comes to tricky questions, we suggest you start brainstorming examples. You want to focus on examples where you made a mistake at work . You want to make sure you choose a mistake that you were responsible for . Choosing a mistake that was only partially your fault will look like you lack self-awareness and the ability to admit your failings. 

After selecting examples where you made a clear mistake, choose a few to deep-dive into. I would suggest that you think of examples that can fit the following format:

• Decision I had to make/issue I faced/project I was working on
• Mistake I made
• The results of my decision
• What I could have done differently and how this experience shaped me

If your examples don’t fit this format, I would suggest that you discard them. They are not likely to fit the STAR format of telling stories adequately or are not likely to answer all the aspects of this question. 

After placing your stories in this format, consider what you learned/how you grew from the experience and what each one tells the admissions committee about you. The best example should clearly stand out! 

When telling the STAR story, make sure you clearly convey the mistake, give a specific example of how you would do things differently and why you believe this would be a better approach, and share how the skills you built or the perspective you developed as a result of the mistake positively contributed to making you the better professional you are today. 

TOP TIP : Including so much information in such a short essay can be highly challenging. That’s why we’ve prepared this post , designed to help you tell your story in a compelling way, even when word count is tight! 

2.3. Essay 3 Tips

Essay 3: Tell us about the best team you worked with. What made the team successful? (up to 200 words)

When discussing what the MBA experience will be like with clients, I always like to joke that the only part of the program you’ll do alone is your final exams. All joking aside, the MBA is a highly team-focused, collaborative experience that demands excellent teamwork skills.  

This question gets right to the core of this issue, focusing on your capacity to work effectively in a team.  

First, to start writing this essay, brainstorm a list of potential achievements to focus on, making sure each has a clear team component. Since Cambridge does not state that you need to choose a professional example, feel free to brainstorm ideas from both your personal and professional lives. However, we suggest making sure your overall essay set is balanced, so choosing a personal example would complement your professional example in Essay 2.

Note: You don’t have to choose a specific story here; you could describe a team in general. However, using a STAR-format story here can be especially helpful in showing the team’s success, explaining effectively why the team was successful, and demonstrating how you contributed to that outcome. 

After brainstorming a list, select the example you feel best demonstrates your ability to thrive and grow in a team setting. I would suggest that you focus on a story that shows your team overcoming some type of challenge since this also goes a long way to demonstrating the team’s success and can make it easier for you when analyzing why this team worked so well. 

Finally, after sharing the team’s victorious outcome, make sure you clearly state 1-2 reasons why this team worked so well together. Was it effective communication? Mutual knowledge sharing? Picking up the slack when other members of the team struggled? There’s no right answer here as long as the reasons you choose directly connect to the example you share. Additionally, be sure to state what you learned about teamwork or in what ways the experience helped you become a better team player.

Ultimately, your example should demonstrate that you thrive in collaborative environments, so make sure that all elements of your essay retain a positive tone that shows your ability to thrive as a member of a team. 

2.4. Essay 4 Tips

Essay 4: Provide an example of when someone else positively impacted your life. What did you learn from this experience? (up to 200 words)

This is another example to demonstrate your self-awareness to the Cambridge admissions committee. 

As with essay 3, you are free to choose a personal or professional example here. You can choose a mentor, co-worker, friend, boss, teammate, or coach from a sports team – the possibilities are endless. The point here is not showing off your network; it’s sharing who you are as a person and your capacity to reflect on being on the receiving end of impact. 

For this reason, I think it’s important to first think about STAR stories that fit here. The question asks for a single example of a time that someone positively impacted your life. As such, start by thinking of some of the most impactful moments in your life and the people who facilitated these moments. You want to make sure to focus on examples with a clear beginning, middle, and end and a clear impact on you . 

Then, consider what you learned from each experience and how it has shaped you ever since. The learnings and how it’s impacted you can vary here – you can focus on internal results, like how it impacted how you see yourself, or on external results, like how you interact with the world around you or specific ways the experience motivated you to act or behave. 

Whichever you choose, make sure the learnings and impact are crystal clear since this part of the question is just as important as the example! 

Looking for Cambridge Judge MBA essay examples? 

Check out our real sample essays that got our clients admitted here .

3. Get Admitted to Cambridge Judge

Landing a spot at Cambridge is no easy task. You’ve spent years building a track record of professional success, dedicated yourself to getting a good GMAT score, and carefully developed your application strategy . 

Now is the time to make sure your accomplishments truly shine, and the only way to do so is to write a clear, compelling admissions essay . 

Ellin Lolis Consulting began with one mission: provide the best possible service to our clients and get them the best possible results . 

Serving our customers is at the core of our company, and we know that applying for an MBA can be a difficult, long process, but our goal is to take away as much of the stress as possible by acting as your ally in the process. 

So if you need much more than just a few comments on your essay, but instead want focused help shaping how you present your life’s greatest hits to one of the world’s toughest critics, you can count on us. 

In the words of our client Henrique , 

“Ellin helped me in the application process from the beginning on how to organize myself for the whole year. I truly believe that my interactions with her not only provided a foundation for the application creation, but also, and more importantly, structured my life at business school. I even got a scholarship. I really recommend her since she is really committed and hard-working, and made me feel comfortable and confident during the entire process. Thanks for the phenomenal service, Ellin.”

Get in touch and let our award-winning team of writers and storytellers help you make an unforgettable first impression. 

4. Cambridge Deadlines

Here are the deadlines for the 2023-2024 season. You can access the Cambridge application by clicking here .

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• Printable Booklist
• About Colleen
• The Colton Heir
• The Jersey Devil Made Me Do It
• Night Holds The Moon
• Deadlier than the Male
• Excerpt from Capturing The Commando
• Phantom of the French Quarter
• Relentless Protector
• Passion to Protect
• Excerpt from Fatal Error
• THE SECRET EPILOGUE to FATAL ERROR
• Fade The Heat Excerpt
• Excerpt From The Deadliest Denial
• Excerpt from Heat Lightning
• Excerpt from Head On
• Secret Epilogue from Head On
• Excerpt from The Salt Maiden
• Excerpt from Triple Exposure
• Excerpt from Beneath Bone Lake
• Excerpt from Touch of Evil
• Against The Odds
• Canyon Song
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• Touched By Fire
• Coping with Critics
• From Acceptance to Print Date: the Top…
• Getting the Most Out of Your Critique…

How to Judge a Writing Contest

• Keep ‘em Coming Back For More
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• Writing First Chapters That Win
• Appearances

The chapter president phones you, frantic for an extra judge. “We’re just one short,” she pleads. “You’ve entered lots of contests. You’ve done plenty of critiquing. Please.”

Stupidly, you acquiesce. All right, it wasn’t really stupid, but it feels that way. You know the writers who entered paid for an informed opinion, neither blazing condemnation nor glowing praise. (Technically, they all, like everyone, fantasize about the glowing praise part. But if they received it from everybody, they’d feel suspicious and dissatisfied. I think.) You’re not certain where to start.

First of all, relax. You wouldn’t have been asked to judge unless someone felt you were well read in your genre and had a good editorial eye. Perhaps you’re a veteran of contests and critique groups. Perhaps you have some publishing credits to your name. Hopefully, you study books and articles to help you learn your craft. All of these qualify you to judge contests if you’ll remember a few simple guidelines.

At a teachers’ workshop long ago, I learned the adage, “Two to glow, one to grow.” In other words, start with praise before you criticize. Those are words to live by, whether you’re dealing with children or adults. People will listen much more attentively to your suggestions if they believe you have the native intelligence to see what they do well. Sometimes, depending on the contest entry, you’ll have to look hard, especially when glaring grammatical or point or view errors make your red pen want to hemorrhage all over the manuscript. Look hard, then. That’s what the writer paid for, after all. Usually you’ll find some spark the author has, a gift for sparkling similes, a facility with dialogue, a charming heroine, a clever hook, or a unique twist on a well-loved, perhaps well worn plot. Compliment the entrant on what she is doing well.

Next, remember just who owns this story. The writer does, of course. Don’t insist the entry must be “fixed” your way, even if you can think of something “guaranteed” to make it a bestseller. Instead, point out places you became confused or you felt could have been more effective. Sheathe your daggers in terms such as, “You might want to consider…” or “Could you clarify…?” Many times, it’s better if the writer comes to her own possibly unique conclusion on how to correct the problem instead of relying on others to tell her what to do. Have you ever seen a manuscript that’s been overhauled by an over-eager writer trying to please too many critique group members? Often, it’s a mealy-mouthed Story-By-Committee, no longer satisfying to anyone, especially the writer.

Last and most importantly, don’t feel you have to tell an author, especially one who appears to be at the beginning of her “apprenticeship,” everything you know or feel about the entry. People can only absorb and set goals to change a few things at a time. Think about it this way. If someone suggested you try to make two or maybe three changes, especially after offering some insightful compliments, would you be likely to try them? Probably. How about, instead, if someone offered seventeen suggestions ? or even twenty-five? I don’t know about you, but the latter would make me want to crumple up that judge’s sheet. I’d just think that old grouch hated my writing, and I’d learn nothing at all. A less confident writer, perhaps one on her first entry, might simply quit writing out of hopelessness.

Most of us judge contests to share what we have learned, not psychically crush our competition. If you’ll remember how it feels to read those scores and comments, you can help other writers hone their craft with appropriate praise, gentle suggestions, and a few goals for each entrant. Try it. You’ll be surprised what you learn, too.

This piece first appeared in The Lone Star Galley.

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Scholarship Essay Judges Needed

• Jane Gmur, National Scholarships Assistant Chair

We need a few good readers to judge Mensa Foundation Scholarship Essays. This task is for anyone who notices the misuse of their, there, and they’re and anyone who can pick out a goal statement from support statements, or fluff.

Every year, the Mensa Foundation Scholarship Program awards more than $130,000 to almost 200 students across the nation. Winners are selected based on essays that discuss their career and educational goals. Mensa members score the essays at local, regional, and national levels using criteria defined by the Foundation. Every judge at every level uses the same criteria.

Want to help? Contact us at [email protected] and mention that you’re interested in being a judge. Teachers and writers most frequently volunteer, but we need judges from myriad backgrounds.

I’m specifically recruiting for the non-participating groups. But, wait — if we’re judging non-participating groups, then aren’t they, in fact, participating? To be considered a participating group in the scholarship program, a Local Group must appoint a Scholarship Chair. These chairs handle all applications for their respective Local Groups. A nonparticipating group is one where the Local Group doesn't appoint a chair. Applicants from those Local Groups can still apply and are pooled with others from non-participating groups. (Only participating groups get local awards.) Judges for non-participating groups are selected from all over the country. You can also judge at the local or regional level.

Judging takes place from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15. Each judge will receive a packet of no more than 50 essays, a scoring sheet, and scoring criteria. You’ll have a few days to return scores for each essay. This all happens via email. Each essay is 550 words or fewer. At least two other judges will be scoring the same packet, which takes the pressure off of each of you.

The scholarship program gives back to all U.S. students; they don’t have to be members to apply for or to win an award. It’s satisfying to learn what students are doing and some essays will bring a chuckle.

I need to hear from you by Jan. 13. Please consider volunteering for this worthwhile program.

Volunteer Today →

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Fear — The Fear of Being Judged in My Life

The Fear of Being Judged in My Life

• Categories: Fear Personal Beliefs

About this sample

Words: 790 |

Updated: 15 November, 2023

Words: 790 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Alden, L. E., Taylor, C. T., & Mellings, T. M. (2008). Social anxiety and the interpretation of positive social events. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(4), 577-590.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Crozier, W. R., & Alden, L. E. (Eds.). (2011). International handbook of social anxiety : Concepts, research, and interventions relating to the self and shyness. John Wiley & Sons.
• Hofmann, S. G. (2007). Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder: A comprehensive model and its treatment implications. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 36(4), 193-209.
• La Greca, A. M., & Lopez, N. (2008). Social anxiety among adolescents: Linkages with peer relations and friendships. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36(3), 395-409.
• Leary, M. R. (2012). Social anxiety as an early warning system: A refinement and extension of the self-presentation theory of social anxiety. In L. A. Schmidt & W. B. Bard (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Communication (pp. 23-40). Psychology Press.
• Rapee, R. M., & Heimberg, R. G. (Eds.). (1997). Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment. Guilford Press.
• Stopa, L., & Clark, D. M. (2000). Social phobia and interpretation of social events. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38(3), 273-283.
• Vriends, N., Becker, E. S., Meyer, A., & Michael, T. (2007). Social anxiety and overgeneralization of social events in adolescents. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 38(3), 304-313.
• Weeks, J. W., Heimberg, R. G., & Rodebaugh, T. L. (2008). The fear of positive evaluation scale: Assessing a proposed cognitive component of social anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(1), 44-55.

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Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover Essay

500 words essay on don’t judge a book by its cover.

Often in life, you must have heard, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. The phrase is self-explanatory and has a deep meaning behind it. It means that we must not underestimate anyone based on their looks. In fact, the deeds and characters of the person matter the most. Thus, don’t judge a book by its cover essay will help us understand its meaning.

Why Should We Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

There are many reasons why we must never judge a book by its cover. This first one is that you know nothing about someone just by their outward appearance. It should never be the judge of someone’s character.

For instance, if you look at a good-looking person, you can only see their skin colour, physical traits, and maybe fashion. But what about beyond that? You cannot solely make up your mind on their outward appearance.

What if the good-looking person turns out to be horrible in nature? What if they lack any real talent or skill? Thus, you see how outward appearances can be misleading. They are basically valueless things so never judge someone on their face value.

On the other hand, something which may not possess beautiful features may have much more value than something beautiful. In other words, the appearance of someone is not equivalent to their worth. Thus, we must judge the person on the basis of their personality and capabilities and not merely external appearance.

To help you understand the phrase better, let us take a look at a story with the same moral. Once, there was a woman who was going on a train journey but forgets her wallet at home. While waiting for the train, she goes to a restaurant.

With the little change she has left, she orders the cheapest meal, a plate of rice and goes to the washroom. Upon returning, she notices a shabbily-dressed man sitting on the table eating from the plate of rice.

This infuriates her thinking he stole her plate but she does not say anything. She starts to eat from the same plate out of spite. The man gets up and leaves. However, soon the lady realizes that she left her belongings on another table.

That table had her plate of rice kept untouched and she realizes she was eating from that man’s plate but he did not say anything to her. Thus, she realizes how she judged him for being a thief because of his clothing when in reality, she was eating from his plate.

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Conclusion of  Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover Essay

To conclude, it is not right to assess people on the basis of their appearance. Some people take a look at the cover of a book and feel that the designer colour and fancy text may mean it is better than a plain book. However, that does not happen, the inside of the book maybe not what you expected, so never judge a book or person by its cover.

FAQ of Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover Essay

Question 1: Why you should not judge a book by its cover?

Answer 1: We must never judge a book by its cover as looks can be deceptive. Forming opinions solely on the basis of seeing the surface is wrong. It is because after taking a deeper look can we understand what the other person is.

Question 2: Who first said Don’t judge a book by its cover?

Answer 2: This phrase attributes to a 1944 edition of the African Journal American Speech which said ‘You can’t judge a book by its binding’. It went on to gain more popularity in the 1946 murder mystery ‘Murder in the Glass Room’ which stated ‘You can never tell a book by its cover.

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My mother was just confirmed as a circuit Judge. It’s wrong that Adeel Mangi may not be | Opinion

• Updated: Apr. 01, 2024, 3:33 p.m. |
• Published: Apr. 01, 2024, 7:45 a.m.

• Star-Ledger Guest Columnist

By Mattan Berner-Kadish

My mother recently finished her first week as judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. I am so proud of her and happy that her dream has come to fruition. I am unable, however, to fully celebrate her success. Why?

In real time – I am watching another deserving nominee and his family be prevented from feeling the same joy.

What is happening to Adeel Mangi, who was nominated by President Biden to be a Circuit Court of Appeals Judge on the Third Circuit, is a travesty, and when compared to my mother’s process, puts in stark relief how incredible this nation can be, and how incredibly cruel it can be as well.

I first heard of Adeel when he was nominated alongside my mother by President Biden on November 15, 2023. We met briefly before their confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. What I had heard and read about him was true: This is a kind, sweet, intelligent man who was thoroughly qualified to be a judge in this country – a judgment confirmed by the American Bar Association, which gave him its highest rating.

While Adeel and my mother shared a date in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, they took separate paths. They told different stories of America, were born in different places, practiced different faiths. Yet, both the American-Israeli Jew and the American-Pakistani Muslim have been considered deserving of the tremendous responsibility that comes with having been nominated to U.S. Circuit Court Judge positions. In today’s political climate, it was not hard to see the meaning and power behind that statement.

Sadly, and predictably, it quickly became clear that the hearing was not going to be about testing the legal acumen and knowledge either of them possessed in their pursuit of the position. What unfolded instead was a brazen display of Islamophobia from Republican senators, who decided their time was best spent accusing Adeel of supporting Hamas and the attacks to our country on 9/11 and questioning his beliefs on Israel’s legal system.

Because of the color of his skin and his religious conviction, the hearing was more insidious. While Adeel repeatedly and emphatically rejected terrorism and Hamas’ attack on October 7th, the truth mattered not at all. The Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee used soundbites from their interrogation as clickbait to fundraise and amplify their Islamophobic fake outrage, and some Democrats have decided that the blowback from the right-wing outrage is not worth spending their political capital.

In the lead up to the hearing, a (perhaps naive) observer might have thought much more of the focus from the GOP would have been on my mother. Adeel is a graduate of Oxford and Harvard, worked for years in a well-regarded corporate law firm, and has no “radical” statements on his record. He resembles the average judge confirmed in practice, ideology, and background in this country’s history, even with President Biden’s efforts to diversify the courts.

In contrast to that, my mother fought for reproductive rights as a Planned Parenthood attorney and for workers’ rights and economic justice at SEIU. She spent her childhood in public school, attended college and law school at public universities, and has given speeches and made statements that most judges would never make. While much of the coverage about her nomination has focused on the historic nature of her confirmation as the first lesbian on the Fourth Circuit, what she chose to be in this life is far more interesting and telling than what was not her decision.

In an era where judicial activism, especially from the Supreme Court, is constant and in clear sight, I have no qualms saying that I hope 1,000 more judges like my mother are confirmed around the country. I don’t mean lesbians, I don’t mean Jews. I mean lawyers who are committed to pursuing public interest careers – lawyers, who like my mom who said they were going to work for big law for a few years to pay off law school debt before going into public interest law, and then actually did it.

I want judges who know what a day of work means for the average American, and how their companies and bosses treat them. I want judges who fought to keep innocent people out of jail. I want judges who worked to protect women’s right to control their own bodies. I want judges who did not remove themself or their children from public schools, and know what education looks like for those who attend them. I want our judges to reflect America’s diversity and experience.

For all of those reasons, Adeel Mangi should be a judge right now. I don’t know if I would agree with all of his rulings, and I doubt he’d be as much of a liberal jurist as I would like. But there is no doubting his qualifications, his professionalism, his fairness, or his judicial temperament. Those aren’t the things keeping him off the bench. Racism and Islamophobia are.

While it seems highly likely that his nomination will die without a vote, I retain hope. Not only for the coming months, but for a brighter future, where we have fought back against fear and panic, elected braver (and more) Democratic senators, and where Adeel Mangi is seated on the 3rd Circuit.

Mattan Berner-Kadish is a union organizer and the son of Nicole Berner, a Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

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University Council Essay Competition

The annual competition is an opportunity for AUBG students to share their thoughts on the state of the world.

University Council Essay Competition 2024

Topic: “Who is Responsible for Curbing Disinformation?” Examine the roles and responsibilities of governments, tech companies, and individuals in tackling disinformation.

Essays on the topic should be 2500-3000 words, double spaced.

Instructions on how to submit your essay through Canvas:

• Navigate to the AUBG academic platform
• Press "Join This Course" button
• The course is available for students by 5:00 pm on April 22nd, 2024.
• In Modules select the link Essay Submission.
• Browse to select the file with your essay and upload it.
• Click Submit

Deadline for submission is Monday, April 22nd, 2024 by 5:00 pm.

Essays will be judged by a panel of faculty and members of the administration.

Winners and Prizes

Awards will be announced at the Twenty-eighth Annual Honors Convocation on April 27th, 2024. The top three essays will be featured on the AUBG website, with cash prizes awarded to the first, second, and third place winners.

Student work

We are publishing the works of University Council Essay Competition

Aleksandrina Hadzhigeorgieva: UC Essay Competition winner 2023

Read the essay of AUBG student Aleksandrina Hadzhigeorgieva who won first prize in this year's University Council Competition. The topic for 2023 was "Is there

Elizabet Ivanova: UC Essay Competition winner 2023

Kameliya Nikolova (’23): UC Essay Competition Winner 2023

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Trump on Trial: seven jurors – and a warning for Trump

It has not taken long for Donald Trump to land himself in hot water with Juan Merchan, the judge in his hush-money trial

• Sign up for Trump on Trial: a free newsletter on all the latest court developments

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On the docket: Trump in trouble (and seven jurors)

It only took one day for Donald Trump to land in hot water with judge Juan Merchan .

Immediately after a potential juror exited the courtroom after being questioned by Trump’s attorney about her social media posts, Merchan said that he could hear Trump “muttering” while she had been standing less than 12ft away from him – and issued a stern warning to the former president.

“It was audible. He was gesturing and he was speaking in the direction of the juror,” a visibly irritated Merchan told Trump’s attorney , raising his voice. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.” He then directed Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, to speak to Trump about his behavior.

The exchange was one of the testier moments in the first full day of jury selection for Trump’s first criminal trial, as Trump’s attorney tried to remove any potential jurors who had displayed negative views of the former president. Merchan rejected many of those efforts – “The question is not whether someone agrees with your client politically or not. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial,” Merchan told Blanche at one point – but he did agree to dismiss a few, including a prospective juror who had previously called for Trump to be jailed.

By the end of the day, the original pool of 96 potential jurors had been whittled down dramatically. More than half had been excused on Monday. The prosecution and defense each used a few of their own “peremptory challenges” (each side gets ten challenges to remove a potential juror without giving a reason) to remove a dozen more.

Out of that pool, six jurors were chosen. Merchan swore them in this afternoon, and told them to expect to return for the trial’s opening statements as soon as Monday morning. After a few more hours of questioning, and right before adjourning for the day, he swore in a seventh.

Sidebar: contempt papers in

In a motion filed on Tuesday, prosecutors argue that Trump should be held in contempt because he “wilfully violated” Merchan’s gag order which bars Trump from making public statements about potential witnesses by publishing several social media posts attacking his former attorney Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels , the porn star with whom he allegedly had an affair.

The prosecutors write that it’s “absolutely critical” to stop Trump from violating the gag order in order to “protect the integrity of the ongoing trial.”

“A finding of criminal contempt, imposition of sanctions, and stark warnings from this court are the minimum remedies necessary to achieve this indispensable objective,” they continue.

Trump called Cohen and Daniels “sleazebags” in a social media post on 10 April , after Merchan issued his gag order, and then on 13 April referred to Cohen as a “disgraced attorney and felon”.

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The filing came after prosecutors requested during Monday’s pretrial proceedings that Merchan hold Trump in contempt and fine him $1,000 for each social media post. The judge gave Trump’s attorneys until Friday to respond, and has scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday morning to determine whether he’ll issue sanctions.

In other news: supreme court skepticism

Down in DC, the US supreme court heard oral arguments on a case that could have huge ramifications for Trump’s own federal election interference criminal trial – and justices expressed skepticism that some of the charges that have been leveled against Trump in that case should be allowed.

Here’s Guardian US reporter Hugo Lowell with more:

The US supreme court expressed concern on Tuesday with prosecutors using an obstruction statute to charge hundreds of January 6 Capitol riot defendants, with the justices leaning towards a position that could jeopardize those prosecutions and the criminal case against Donald Trump. The Trump case was not mentioned at the argument. But a decision curtailing the use of the obstruction statute in connection with the Capitol attack could eliminate two of the four charges against the former president. The case, which on its face involves a January 6 riot defendant named Joseph Fischer, became of sudden importance last year after Trump was also charged with obstruction of an official proceeding over his efforts to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. At issue is whether the obstruction statute passed under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 in the wake of the Enron scandal could be used to prosecute general instances of obstruction, or whether it was intended to be used more narrowly for evidence tampering or document destruction. If the supreme court decides that section 1512(c) of title 18 of the US criminal code was being used too broadly, it could cripple part of the case against Trump as the special counsel Jack Smith looks to draw a line at trial from the former president’s January 6 speech to the violence. And if the court moved to strike down the use of the obstruction statute, it could undercut the remaining conspiracy statutes used in the indictment against Trump.

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